Packed

I've gotten better at properly packing a pack but it's still exhausting. My sister was my first guide the first time I packed for South America, showing me how to adjust all those dang dangling straps.  Beth taught me the valuable lesson of rolling everything to create more space when I packed for Nepal. And Staci Jon so generously lent me her backpack TWICE when I discovered each time that 50 liters was too small to take everything I needed (though John I know would disagree).  

So this time I am prepared with a backpack all my own that packs up to 70 liters (hurray!).  I have mentally packed my pack multiple times, making and revising and further streamlining the list of bare essentials needed to possibly teach art, do yoga, swim, hike, surf, sleep and maybe also dance while I am away.  My mother comes over for moral support; actually she pretty much packs everything for me.  I roll, she packs.  We have beers.  It is practically a party.   We finish way ahead of schedule with plenty of time left to sleep before my car comes to take me to JFK at 4 friggin o'clock in the morning. Although now that I am writing this post, maybe not so much.  

Good night!