Gearing up.

October 11th, 2007
We're home earlier than planned. Changed a few flights around and got in on the night of the 7th. Almost rid of the jetlag now. I've put away all those city clothes from our days in Quebec and stored the fleecey stuff from our time in Cape Breton.
Kevin headed off on his weekend trip today, which means we won't see each other again for 37 days. I think this is the longest time apart yet. Argh.
Karen & I are emailing and calling back & forth as we get the last of the details organized. This really is going to be an amazing trip.
The backpack stuff is scattered around the bedroom floor. Should be able to fit it all in with room to spare. Filling an extra bag with pens, pencils, paper, world maps and whatever else we can come up with to take to the schools in Malawi.
It's a silver-grey day. The water has mercury sparkles below the diffused sun in the high puffed clouds. The waves are steady today. How does that work? No visible wind difference and yet some days, it's glassy-smooth and then today, it's a steady wash on the rocks.
I would like to add a map to my website so I could share my trip route. It's times like these I wish I could get a more Internet savvy brain plopped into my head. I have such crappy patience for trying to figure these things out. I know it's probably something a 7-year old could do, but I grew up with piano lessons and pencil crayons. This stuff is too strange.

The End of Summer

You'd think I'd have this all down pat by now. But I don't.
I am packing my little wheelie carry-on for our upcoming trip to Montreal and then Nova Scotia. Kevin & I will come back from Nova Scotia and two days later, I'll be leaving for Africa with my girlfriend Karen. I'll be using the battered old backpack that I am also packing right now.
I feel like I'm on a multiple personality reality show.
Look! See the first persona try to pack groovy French city clothes for Montreal for her whirly 11-day stay in the city with her husband. The second woman needs comfy fleece & gore-tex for hanging out with Mary & Robert in their new Nova Scotian world that will include tromping about beaches and windy hikes and the Celtic Colours music fest.
And then there is the backpacker woman. She's dumping all her old cotton pants, beat up T-shirts and Tevas into the pack while trying to squeeze in the sleeping bag and Therma-rest. Is it quite mad for a 47 year old woman to go on an overland camping trip for 3 weeks? Especially when the average age for these things is around 19? Probably. Oh well...