Lift off...

Get up at 4 o'clock in the morning, walk the dog, put bags in the car, and get on the highway before rush hour. Have breakfast somewhere in the Hessian backcountry. Also take a longer walk with the dog in the dark.

Arrive early at Frankfurt Airport, drop off the rental car, and check the formalities for the transport of the pet. Last phone call with the office, drop off the dog, and slowly make your way to the gate. As expected, the security check has never seen a Marshall Kilburn in the X-ray machine. *laughs*

The small problem is that you have to take a bus to a 747 due to a technical defect. But at least you can see that Fiffi is at the baggage carousel.

The flight is uneventful and comfortable thanks to premium economy, even for a two-hundred pound guy.

Arrival at Washington Dulles in the late afternoon. Border control takes a whopping 1.5 hours. The process itself takes five minutes. The dog is already waiting. Everything went well. Grab the luggage and take the shuttle to the rental cars.

Buy dog food, get cash, and drive the hour to Glen Burnie to the rented cottage. After that, I'm done.