One Day & Counting

[Sunday, July 23, 2023]

The time of our departure has almost arrived. After dreaming about this for a very long time, deciding and beginning the planning roughly a year ago, and now typing this post with one sleep to go before we begin the journey of a lifetime.  It feels like both an eternity and immanent at the same time. Similar to those early childhood Christmas eves’ when one could hardly find sleep with the brimming excitement.

 

Slowly, we have been carefully pulling together the items we need along with our clothing in soft sided medium sized suitcases as prescribed by the tour operator. Smaller suitcases so they fit in the back of the safari vehicles that will carry us through the Serengeti. This means that we had to be rather strategic with our clothing choices. 

Essentially, we have packed for 7 days for a month-long trip with the expectation that we will be doing laundry along the way. This is really the only way to fit clothing and other essentials into such a small case. When I walked the Camino de Santiago in the spring of 2016, I travelled for three weeks (walked the Camino for 14 days) with only 4 days' worth of clothes. You become skilled at doing laundry in the sink; sometimes I would take clothes with me into my end of day walking shower to “feed two birds with one scone”. 

Over the last couple of days, we picked up a few small things we felt we needed to complete the list. A couple carabiners for the light clothesline to hang our hand washed items and one extra power converter to make sure we can charge the few things that will need power. We spent some time with the boys and their wives and made sure all the final arrangements at the house were completed.

 

Bags packed. Check-in complete. Boarding passes in hand (digitally of course). All that’s left to do now is close our eyes and allow ourselves one more dream before this amazing journey becomes a reality. 

 

Thanks for following along, we’re excited that you’ve joined us. 

 

Next stop – London, England.

 

Curt & Laureen