So here we are...the evening before my departure tomorrow morning at 10:30...and I'm relatively calm......or am I? I've taken some time with this past week to see friends and visited the George W. Bush Library for a potential field trip op for the next school year (teachers never rest), went to the movies without getting a babysitter (kids are in Colorado with the in-laws) and sat down for a nice chat with a dear friend from school. It was refreshing. However, panic struck Friday afternoon when I realized I did not know where my new credit card was(the other one expires in June!)....only that I was pretty sure it was in the house somewhere....(if I could have captured the look on my husband's face).....how on earth was I going to go to Europe without a credit card?!?!?!? As I frantically ran around the house, mumbling under my breath, "I know I saw it right here", I finally put my hands on it, laying underneath a stack of kid papers from the end of year party. Whew!... Today, I got up early, cleaned house, washed every piece of clothing we have so I could ensure optimal choice when packing my outfits, bathed the little dog and waited for the bug man to show up and finally....started really packing.... I mean, I've had things laid out since Sunday but there really is an art to packing, so I packed in everything I thought was necessary and then weighed my bag....5 lbs over. Opened up the bag and changed the side of the bag I put all my clothes on....like that was going to make a difference. (I also took out the camera stuff and put that in my carry on). Then my husband and I debated how big of a jacket I really needed which led to an intense google weather search of the temperatures in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (not as far north as I'll go, but it's up there) and it was a high of 41ish for the whole week....(which might be cold for you but it's not 20!) so we ditched my big coat, decided I have plenty of layers and I'd be fine. Pray for me. I'm actually fortunate in so many ways; many Grosvenor Teacher Fellows have trekked on before me and been so generous with feedback, suggestions and must haves, that the packing really hasn't been terrible. There really aren't that many unknowns. I need at least 2 nicer-ish outfits for our evening dinner at the beginning and end of the trip, leggings for layers, flip-flops for the muck room, tennis shoes for onboard wear and other essential layerish items. While rethinking my wardrobe I had to, of course, be more realistic about how many workout outfits I should bring....(pipe dreams) so I scaled those back and feel good about what I have (knowing we have laundry service onboard ship). And to top it all off, my 14th wedding anniversary is tomorrow --> the day I leave for this journey of a lifetime. My husband has been amazingly supportive; making sure the bank knows where I'll be, cell phone is ready with unlimited texting, and the kids will get their little surprises from mommy while I'm away. He's. The. Best. So tonight we'll go out to our favorite not-so-fancy restaurant and catch a movie (Godzilla because why not) to celebrate 14 crazy years together. I've had since last Tuesday to really wrestle with my thoughts, tinker with my cameras, think about my packing list, check and re-check what I'm bringing, a truly endless stream of incoherent ramblings of a jam packed summer rolling through my mind. I've enjoyed my mommy down time this week, but I'll miss my kids like crazy when I gone, they'll surely be graduating high school by the time I return. I want them and others (kids and adults alike) to see that there's no perfect time in your life to be ready for an adventure like this, to get everything in order. When opportunity knocks, be brave enough to answer it and enjoy the ride. Disclaimer: due to WiFi connectivity I have no idea how often I will post something. Most likely I'll post pics and text on Facebook/Twitter and then unload all my thoughts when I get back....guess we'll have to see. :-)
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