And We're Off

The first, and probably hardest part of any trip is packing for it. And ouash, what do you pack for 9 weeks on the road? Well it turns out you pack exactly the same as you do for a 2-week trip, and just plan to wash more often.

I've be putting off the inevitable "final pack", perhaps thinking I would be hit by inspiration; getting increasingly nervous as our departure neared. Do I bring jeans or not? Do I need both pairs of Tilly pants? What is the optimal number of shoes - minimizing weight while maximizing utility. Hasn't someone invented an 'ap' for this?

For this particular trip, it's complicated by a 33 lb weight limit on some of the lighter aircraft we will be taking. Today's final weighin brought me to 35 lbs, not counting my carry-on ... which does count! I'm going to have to lose something along the way. I think I can do it by discarding books as I read them, giving away some t-shirts and sending some clothes home with Francisco when he heads home.

But I did get through the final case 'packing-jitters', muscled the zippers on my backpack closed, and didn't even blink when Uncle Fernando was 15-minutes late for our ride to the airport. We made it with loads of time, and are now sitting at the gate, drinking Starbuck's hot chocolate, and watching flights load for Istanbul and Abu Dhabi.

And I'm feeling very calm, knowing that all I have to do is get onto the plane, fall asleep for a few hours, and get off in London. Piece of cake. :)