Keeping in Touch

A last posting before I go, just to remind followers that I won't be taking my mobile phone with me. It will be quite a novelty to see what life is like without something we have all become very dependent on. So please keep in touch on email. I will phone family members from time to time.

One week to go

Definitely into final countdown now. I really feel ready to set off, and just want to get going at this stage. Not much to say in this post, but I wanted to check if people who have registered as "followers" get an email alert when I do a new entry.

Itinerary

Just so visitors get an idea of where I will be when, here's a brief run down :

Some dates and locations may change, especially after New Year.

1st to 6th October - New York
6th to 12th Oct - Montreal and Toronto
12th to 16th October - trans-Canadian rail journey
16 to 22nd Oct - Vancouver
22nd - 25th Oct - Vancouver Island
25th to 29th Oct - Seattle
29th to 30th Oct - Coast Starlight rail journey
30th Oct to 11th Nov – West Coast USA, including San Fransisco and Los Angeles
12th to 23rd Nov - Organised trip to Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon and Monument Valley, setting off from, and arriving back at, Las Vegas
23rd to 29th Nov - Honolulu, Hawaii
30th Nov to 8th Dec - New Zealand, North Island
8th to 19th Dec – New Zealand, South Island
19th Dec to 5th Jan – Australia, including Sydney and Blue Mountains
5th Jan to 8th Jan - Singapore
8th to 14th Jan - Kuala Lumpur
14th Jan to 1st Feb – Thailand, including Bangkok and beach
2nd to 15th Feb – India, including Mumbai and Kerala
16th Feb - Arrive home

The final few weeks

PACKING

It's not long now, and the number of lists I am working through just seems to keep growing. I now have a packing list as well as all the "things to do" lists, and have done a trial pack; it all fits in, but weighs a lot, so I am trying to whittle it down even further, but it's hard. I'm sure I've not included anything that isn't on every list of essentials for a round the world backpacking trip which includes trekking. (I've included a picture - more to test whether I can, than because anyone would be interested in a picture of my case and contents.)

There's a special "final countdown" list for what to do in the last few days before setting off : doing the Off Road Notice for the car, setting the central heating timer, mowing the lawn, loaning out my house plants, clearing the fridge and freezer, getting a very short haircut and so on.
Looks like I may be too busy for many blog entries till I land in New York!
It all feels much more real and less like a day dream. At some point I know I'll start having nightmares about impossible packing challenges and getting lost in airports - so long as it's only nightmares not reality, that's OK.