Last night I drove to the airport in New Orleans to pick up my niece Hannah and her friend and traveling companion Catherine, back from a two-month sojourn backpacking around Europe. Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Innsbruck, Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre, Genova, Nice, and Barcelona. Naturally, I had to do the New Orleans thing for them and go through a drive-thru daiquiri bar out by the airport for welcome-home cocktails.

(Truth to tell, it wasn’t the same bar Tony Bourdain featured in that clip; in fact, I don’t think it was one of the drive-thru ones at all. But it’s the place where you stop for a welcome-back-to-Louisiana big-ass drank to go. And so I did, for them. For the record, non-south-Louisiana folks, I was the designated driver, and besides, I am on equine-level doses of antibiotics to fight off this hellacious sinus infection. So there.)

The girls were exhausted from their long flights home (Barcelona-Lisbon-Philadelphia-New Orleans), but were chipper and full of stories. The most exciting and gratifying thing I learned from both of them was that the world looks very different to them now. They had a lot of fun, but more importantly, they met so many wonderful people, people who were kind and friendly, both travelers and locals. They gained such affection for traveling, and a much wider and more embracing perspective on the world. Plus, knowing that all of this was out there for their taking, and that they had it within themselves to do it, gave them such confidence. They both now say that the rest of their lives will be different because of these two months traveling in Europe. They understand themselves and their places in the world better, and now believe that a whole world of possibility has opened up to them.

They went with Eurailpasses, no reservations, and only vague plans. They made their adventure as they went along. And it changed them, in ways that make Hannah’s old wanderlusty uncle very, very proud and happy for them both. You know too, I think the old aunts, Lois and Hilda, would be delighted to know there’s a young woman in our family who was every bit as eager for European adventure as they were.

And now, to bed, because I have to do some traveling tomorrow. This has been a pretty bad week for me; I’ve spent much of it literally in bed trying to overcome this sinus infection. Got a steroid shot from the doc yesterday afternoon to give me a boost of energy as I wait for the antibiotics to work their magic, and I felt much better — able to drive to NOLA to pick up the girls. But it wore off on the way home, and now I’m crashing and have lost my voice. If you see light posting tomorrow, it’s because I’m on planes most of the day. [UPDATE: No, it won’t happen. I woke up this morning not only feeling weak and dizzy, but without a voice. Can’t give a lecture if you can’t talk. Dammit. — RD]

Here’s a photo outside the New Orleans airport on the day Hannah and Catherine left, May 14. (Note to readers of The Little Way Of Ruthie Leming: Hannah made a point to come home on 7-09; you’ll get the tip o’ the hat to her mother.) I remind you that in their backpacks were two brand-new Kindles, a gift from one of you generous readers. They really did depend on the kindness of strangers on this trip, and it opened them up to the universal travel language of generosity and hospitality, one they’ll be speaking themselves their whole lives.