Continental Divide Trail 2011 close to 3000 miles through new mexico, colorado, wyoming and montana. May 1 start date.

A week from now, I will be in the air on my way to Auckland, where I will begin my adventure. I have a layover in Fiji, which is very fitting since Lisa and I coined the motto: Fiji 2007. We had decided to meet in Fiji sometime in 2007. I'll be there on December 31, just in time. I decided to go to NZ about two months ago, and now the reality is becoming more obvious to me as each day passes. Only two weeks ago did I start thumbing through my Lonely Planet New Zealand and my Lonely Planet Tramping in New Zealand guides. There are many tracks to tramp and farms to visit. For such a small country, it seems there could never be enough time. But I've got a 12-month visa and an open-ended return date so we'll see how long I'll last. I've been wanting to do this for a few years now--just take off for New Zealand and spend time in the dirt. Now its really happening. I'm going. It's funny though; I always seem to get cold feet just before leaving for a big trip. I think: what am I doing? why am I leaving all that is familiar and comfortable just to satisfy that desire of mine to see everything and go everywhere? I remember sitting in the airport just before leaving for Spain last year, thinking those same thoughts. But always, it doesn't take long for me to remember why it is that I flew to the other side of the world. There's just something about travel that makes it irresistible. I'm not sure if I can pin-point exactly what it is, but perhaps its a combination of things. When all of my senses are on high alert and the normally mundane things of life are suddenly new. Its the friends made in hostels, the British Pub moments when time stops and all is well and right in the world, sitting alone in a train station for hours. Yes, I am going to New Zealand, and although it is far away and foreign to me now, it will soon be real to me. Anyway, Merry Christmas. Here comes 2008.