Just six days until the start of the Grand Tour. I’m getting so excited, I can hardly stand it! I’ve been whizzing through my list, getting items checked off (and, sadly sometimes added new items on) as quickly as I can. You’ll be happy to know that I got my small town venue secured, so the tour participants won’t be going without that night. I also managed to find a place for my boss and one of our sponsors to sleep. Things are really coming together. I’m still waiting for my DVD of Northern Exposure to arrive. I really hope it gets here in time!
I started packing today. It was all I could do to restrain myself from packing the entire last month - as if packing will help the trip start sooner. I’ve never been to Alaska, and rarely been on a boat, so I’m not 100% sure how to pack. What makes more sense, a down coat, or shorts? I’m packing both, and knowing me, I’ll never wear the shorts, and never take the down coat off – I’m perpetually cold. I’ve got my seasickness kit, my favorite pillow, five books, a rain coat, Gortex pants, lots of socks, jeans, t-shirts, and a few nice things to wear. A laptop, a digital camera, and iPod, and all the cables required to connect these items together. I know I’m over-packing, but I just don’t know what to take, so I’m taking everything.
The tricky part about over-packing is that I’m sharing the crew quarters with our Chef (and my friend and neighbor). While our cabin is very good size, it also has one closet that is about 4’ X 4’ x 2’ that we will share, and we each get one drawer. So, we are really going to have to pack the stuff in. I’m sure we’ll fit it all in somewhere!
I hope to have all of my official work duties finished by Tuesday. I expect to have the last details for our venues tied up, last reminder emails sent to the marinas and restaurants that we will be visiting in the coming weeks. That should give me the remaining three days to deal with any last minute issues that come up between now and our kick off party, and it should allow me to get the house in order so that my husband doesn’t crumble under the weight of being a single parent to our two dogs while I’m gone.
The thing I worry about most right now, are the things I may have forgotten. I’m checking, and re-checking. I feel like I’ve got everything covered, but experience tells me that there is always something. I’m trying desperately to find that something before the trip starts. I guess time will tell.
Just six days until the start of the Grand Tour. I’m getting so excited, I can hardly stand it! I’ve been whizzing through my list, getting items checked off (and, sadly sometimes added new items on) as quickly as I can.
