I recently responded to an e-mail from a colleague: Well, I'm not exactly soiling my pants about this trip, but I can feel a sense of heaviness inside.
I have spent so much time getting things organized, especially 'just in case' kinds of things. Leaving the country for an extended period is a great opportunity to get all your s*** together, sort of like how having house guests periodically helps achieve a similar re-organization. Stuff like doctor/dental appointments, arrangements with banks/credit cards, various contingency plans, house and yard maintenance, car servicing... And also physical therapy 3x/week for my slowly healing hamstring injury.
On the more fun side, I have become a fervent proponent of FaceTime. Beth and I are able to video-chat pretty much every day - it is so very nice to get to see each other after the work day and/or in the mornings (we're 12 time zones apart). I have also had a nice dose of connecting with our kids, close friends, and Beth's parents before I take off.
I've also found myself engaged in a pattern of divesting. As the owner of many musical instruments, I thought I would lend out some of them to trusted friends who will not merely 'take care' of them, but who will actually use them. I had an eerie thought about that: If I were planning an early overseas demise, this is probably exactly what I would do - but I'm not.
So, it's now all about the actual *packing*. Just where do I draw the line on books and clothes? And shoes?!? Not a daunting or stressful task, but I have little else that needs to be done (which is good, for sure), so it's down to this. On the charge of procrastination, the jury finds the defendant guilty.
