Preparing to Leave

With less than two days until my plane takes off from JFK airport, it’s hit me that I’m going to be gone for three weeks.  The amount of work to be done is staggering.  I thought I’d done so much: researched sites, bought a light suitcase, gathered travel sized toiletries, and even rushed through level 1 of Rosetta Stone Vietnamese….the effort of which is questionable at this time.

Yesterday and today I tackled the mundane tasks of informing credit card and ATM cards of my trip, filling out the form to have the post office hold my mail, and making sure the lawn is cut and flowers watered while I’m away.  Oh yeah, and laundry.  There’s the key to the Maine house I have to get to someone, a haircut, and making sure the kids are semi-packed for camp before I go.  Don’t forget to make copies of the passport and visa.

I just know I’m forgetting something, but hey, I can always buy whatever I forget in Vietnam, right?  I think not having my Blackberry will be a big withdraw for me….and hopefully liberating too.  No phone.  The only communication will be through this blog, facebook, and Skype…whenever I can get to a computer….or should I take a laptop?  That’s still an undecided question.  Along with:  should I or shouldn’t I take a “sleep aid” on the plane for at least part of the 14 hour flight to Tokyo before the almost 6 hour flight to Hanoi?  And….will I really read the two books I bought, or should I bring only one?

I’ve traveled before for even  longer and with only a backpack….but that was almost 30 years ago and I didn’t have all the “home” responsibilites I have now…and it wasn’t half way across the world.  But, hey if I could do it then, I can do it now, right?

So, I’d write more about my slight anxiety, but I have to go put clothes into the dryer.  I’ll let you know the packing goes tomorrow.