8 weeks…

Not that I’m counting, but today marks 8 weeks until I start my leave from work.  (I remember starting my count down on a white board in my office at 131 weeks!)

That works out at 34 shifts because I’m going on retreat for a week to stay with some Benedictine Monks.

The problem is, that I feel like a little kid in the back of the car screaming “are we nearly there yet?” whilst kicking the front seat and trying to wind up my sister sat next to me.

There is just something frustrating about the wait now.  And I want to get on that plane.

It’s been a long time coming!

After all, this has been a work in progress for a number of years.  Finally it’s all ready to go, I’ve nothing left to plan or prep.

Visa, check.  Flights, check.  Shake down, check.  Gear, well that’s check check and cheque!

The only thing I have left to do is buy travel insurance, and that’s not quite an exciting job.

The frustration

I really just want to capture how I feel right now.  Frustrated, in Limbo, anxious?  It’s like the inertia of the potential hike is a dam about to burst, but even if it dose the water won’t go any where for the next few moments.

Today I’ve spent my day off unpacking and repacking my bag, setting up my tent in the garden, practicing the PCT hang (how do you make that magic work?).  I can’t really think of any thing else to do.

I’m sick of trying to second guess all my gear choices as I still come down on the side of wanting to be comfortable in camp, at least in the first month.  So I guess I’m just going to have to carry those pounds!  I didn’t struggle with my pack on the C2C, so I’m not worried.

Yes, I could go on a hike, but I can’t fit in an over night hike during the next 8 weeks, and all the rivers are in flood around where I live, so lots of my usual day hikes are a no go.

Half of me wishes I’d left every thing to the last moment, that’s my usual style.  But then I figured this is to big a trip to leave to the last moment.

I want to pull out my AWOL guide and plan each day, but my hiking experience tells me that that really would be pointless!

So I’ll just sit here, wait, pack and repack my bag and practice that PCT hang.  And the wait goes on.