I have decided that observing the poverty in Africa, Asia or the Middle East would break my spirit right in two

Hell, an unplanned summer night on the streets of Chicago, in and around the Loop, did that for me. What an eye-opener! The juxaposition of the homeless using the nice, wide marble and granite window ledges of the upscale stores as bunkspace was heartbreaking. I wandered into a church courtyard to look at their fountain only to realize there were people sleeping in every darkened corner, some of whom I watched arise with the sun, hide their cardboard mattresses behind the shrubbery, pick up their buckets and squeegees and head off into the day.

There was an old man sleeping on the steps of the seminary - his back was to the street and, from that view, he could have passed for my dad.

I was an art major in college and Greece and Italy have always been at the top of my list. I’ve been to Florence and Venice, pictures in books don’t do the cathedrals and other art work justice. Hopefully I’ll be equally delighted if I finally make it to Greece.

Here in the states I’d love to see the Grand Canyon and Yosemite.