"Happiness in [flight] is entirely a matter of chance."

I decided to do some reading on the new airport security measures. Here's some info I found particularly interesting:

To ensure the health and welfare of certain air travelers the following items are permitted.

• Small amounts of Baby formula and breast milk if a baby or small child is traveling
• Liquid prescription medicine with a name that matches the passenger’s ticket
• Up to 5 oz. (148ml) of liquid or gel low blood sugar treatment
• Up to 4 oz. of essential non-prescription liquid medications including saline solution, eye care products and KY jelly
• Gel-filled bras and similar prostethics
• Gel-filled wheelchair cushions
• Life support and life sustaining liquids such as bone marrow, blood products, and transplant organs carried for medical reasons

Then in another area (whether or not it is permitted in carry-on):

All creams and lotions including Neosporin or first-aid creams and ointments, topical or rash creams and ointments, suntan lotions, moisturizers, etc.

No

Do we see anything wrong with the first set of permitted items in carry-on versus the second set of prohibited items in carry-on? If you're nodding your head and thinking Yes, the gel-filled bra. Leslie, you obviously don't wear those. But won't your underwires give you a problem? no, that's not it; although, my underwire bras will give me a problem, and I'm still working out the solution to that. But I was thinking of the permitted KY jelly, and the prohibited "all moisturizers". Now I suppose the fact the KY jelly is clear may add to the security clearance aspect, but that does not hold water when you think about the prohibition on all beverages, including bottled water. Are there many people trying to get KY jelly onto airplanes that the TSA (Transportation Security Admin) has felt the need to allay the public's fears on its possible ban from airplanes? Why can those pervs have their KY jelly but someone with combination skin, such as myself, cannot have her combination skin moisturizing lotion? I find that rather harsh. I understand the whole threat of hiding things in liquids (bottled water? come on! in addition to combination skin, I also have rather persistent dry mouth), but I do not see the need to rub into my dry skinned face the acceptability of KY jelly. Also the gel-bra thing... kinda freaks me out. What was the issue that allowing a gel-filled bra (and the KY, I'd really really like to know the story behind the KY) now needs to be communicated in advance so that we know we can wear them? Did someone get groped there? Am I gonna be groped in the chestal region? Should I plan for this? If I wear an underwire (and I don't have any other options) will I have to remove it? And WHY CAN'T I HAVE BOTTLED WATER?

"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort."

If you have come to this website, chances are that you received the address from either myself or my mother. Thank you for taking an interest in my foreign studies and please feel free to comment on a post or e-mail ( lwort3ne@umw.edu ) me whenever you want. If you did not receive this site from either myself or my mother, and are also much without the pleasure of my aquaintance, then please enjoy my writings in silence... unless you're some sort of publisher and want to pay me.

I will attempt to keep myself disciplined and write something on here once a day. In all likelyhood, these will be very short entries for the most part. Should I go against my mother's urging and only write when I have the fancy to, don't expect more than one a week at the most. That said, the less frequent updates will make up for lost time with a superior quality of writing. I will try to this with some regularity, as the point of a travel journal is for personal benefit mostly (though I am not privy to the composition of this "benefit") and I would like to gain something from this.

I had decided to create a mass e-mail list, and keep everyone up to date once a week, but that is so much more scrupulous. With a blog, I can write little bits when I feel like it and not worry about jamming inboxes all the way across the ocean with stupid little items. In an e-mail, you get black and white, Times New Roman size 12, and questionable formatting (especially from the UMW e-mail). On a blog, I change the colors, font, size, format to whatever I feel like. It's much more personal. It adds to the writing. And it's a lot easier for me to upload photos. Plus, you all can choose when you want to read. So you see, I did this all for you. I am the beacon of selfless internet acts.

This is your chance to live vicariously through me. I will narrate, express, communicate, impart, announce, disclose, report, and maybe even insinuate all the goings on of my studies abroad. Please note, however, that living vicariously through me is a passive act. I do not think I need worry about the passivity of those who are able to read this on the internet. But I can think of 1 or 2 people for whom "vicarious living" is active and will tell, order, bid, advise, indicate, and maybe even insinuate what it is that I should be doing. As long as you are aware of the difference between suggestion and indication, and of which I would infinitely prefer, you can write whatever you want to me in a comment or e-mail ( lwort3ne@umw.edu ). Thank you very much for taking an interest. Please enjoy your virtual reality trip to Madrid.

Just a tidbit: this post's title is a quote from an author.