Countdown: 12 days

Countdown: 12 days, says it all.

Overwhelmed. Tasks, preparation, details, paperwork, apprehension, anxious goodbyes. And a lot of people to miss, even before departing. I find it impossible to write about the big things and feelings. I am  filled with such varied emotions, yet haven't the skills to describe them... much less to handle them.

Steve is taking the brunt of my anxiety. The rest of you, my sadness at being away for so long. Celia and I can handle the excited part. Thanks to everyone for putting up with the emotional turmoil while continuing to be so encouraging.

What can I write about? The details.

Today, insurance and taxes. (Probably tomorrow and the next day and the next, also.) Turns out that for a small fee, my current insurance will cover equipment, too. (Thank you, Anne, for the excellent idea.) However, I need to document each item. Not so easy. Between inefficient record keeping and the great basement flood of 2009, it's unclear how much documentation I can provide. I've been sorting papers all day today, and will continue this evening to see what I can produce. Then I'll throw myself on the mercy of the adjusters on high.

And, of course, there are a thousand other things, but thinking about them is tougher than doing them. So far, stuff gets done every day. It had better be complete in 12 days.

This is a completely new experience for me and I can't help questioning myself, my skills, abilities, flexibility, everything needed to travel far from home for a very long time. In other words, I'm scared. But I'm also very excited and looking forward to the adventure. And I hate being so far from those who are important to me.

See the conflicting mess of emotion? Ugh.

Off to sift through more paper (done with the digital docs). I miss you all already. And I'm still here.