Today’s the day: in a matter of hours, I will be boarding a plane bound for the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, where I’ll stay with my Aunt and Uncle for a week. One last big hurrah of global adventuring. My traveling companion is my dear friend Tess—one of my best pals since the age of five—who crossed the Atlantic yesterday to meet me in London.

She sleeps now, breathing heavily, body turned towards the wall. By tonight, she will be twice jet-lagged. And there will be six days of sun stretching out before us. I am prepared to relax, to eat and drink and be merry, to tan, to beach like whales on the sand. And to laugh: this will undoubtedly be one sweet week of laughter.