We are truly and literally on the road again, hanging out in Portland (Oregon) with Marissa and Skyler and Sky’s girlfriend Jenny. Skyler and Jenny have given up their incredibly comfortable bed for us – we feel so pampered and comfortable! The forecast is for beautiful sunny weather, and we have five days to wander Portland and hang out with the kids. How delightful.
The last day at home was not nearly as delightful as I would have liked. We anticipated that our 5 pm flight meant we could putter around the house for a few hours in the morning, finishing our packing, and then relax for part of the afternoon before hitting the road. We didn’t anticipate how many last-minute things there were to do and how unsettling the pre-trip anxiety can be. I think that an afternoon departure just gives more time for that generalized anxiety and butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling to gain momentum, and it did.
Luckily, and consistent with all my previous experiences, the anxiety began to evaporate even as we drove out of Jericho. The closer we got to the airport, the more relaxed I felt. The only worry by the time we arrived at BTV was the ridiculous amount of luggage we were dragging and the potential fees they would incur. (Apparently, our procedure for weighing our suitcases on the bathroom scale at home was not as accurate as we had hoped – ouch.)
And when will I ever learn to remember to empty my water bottle before I go through security at the airport??? Between that and the crazy amount of stuff that raised their eyebrows when it showed up on the X-ray (“What? No, I’m not carrying an airgun or butane torch….Oh - that’s an otoscope!”), we were glad to have arrived in plenty of time and sorry to have delayed everyone in line behind us. I was also genuinely sorry that I wasn’t wearing a sign taped to my back that said, “Hey – I don’t usually have this much luggage, but we’re moving to Cambodia, for crying out loud!” And despite what they say about being allowed two carry-ons, I managed to board the plane with five, so my faith in the flexibility of some rules has been restored.
So here we are, neither here nor there, but anticipating a few lovely days in between.
2 comments:
You were almost close enough to go for that beer, but not quite.----D--Vancouver island
Darrell - is that you? Damn, so close and yet not close enough for that beer.
Well, get yourself to Siem Reap and I'll buy you one here.
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