Of course I am excited about my trip to Southern Africa with Lisa. I fly down to Baltimore very early on Thursday and meet Lisa at her place for a day or two. We leave from Washington, DC on Sat. Oct. 4th for Johannesburg and we'll be gone for most of October. It will be a trip of a lifetime for both of us, and the first time we have traveled out of the country together. We're traveling with Overseas Adventure Travel. We'll be in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia, and then return to Johannesburg for a garden route trip with my friend, Luisa from South Africa, joining us.
But first I have to leave home--and that has been the first challenge of this trip. What to take, how it fit it all in one carry-on bag being sure not to forget anything important--like passports, trip info, electrical converter plugs and transformers, first aid supplies, emergency food so I won't starve, comfortable walking shoes that really look fantastic, and my ever-increasing meds! Traveling at 76 seems more complicated than it did at 36.
Since I had a good packing list, it should have been really simple. I quickly began placing things in my bag. But I kept finding one more piece of clothing I thought I'd like to take (not on the list) and after a couple of hours had everything packed. But I could not close the luggage! Too much stuff crammed in for the zipper to close. So I put the whole thing on the floor and went to bed--and started again this morning by taking out anything that was not on my "necessities packing list" and miracle of miraclers, it all fit in perfectly. I'll have fewer shoes, fewer pants, and fewer tops and I won't be surprised if I return saying "I took too much stuff with me!" What is it about getting ready to leave home that makes me think I have to take enough for every possible situation? Part of the reason I travel is to try out new things, see new places, try out new ideas, food, customs, etc. so why would I try to take everything so I can be the same as I am at home?
On every one of my trips, the most wonderful part has been seeing the world, and myself, from new perspectives--with new eyes and different feelings. So the last thing I need is to be loaded down with unnecessary baggage--physical or emotional. So I have lightened up a little, literally and figuratively, and actually, it was fun paring down. Now I can hardly wait to leave home and start this adventure. Only one more day before I leave Rochester, NY.
Johannesburg, here we come.
