South Pacific

It's before dinner and we find ourselves oddly at a seashore boardwalk, complete with games and rides and slightly sweet Chinese popcorn.

That's when it hits me. That's the Pacific Ocean right there. My Pacific ocean. From the other side.

I'm running towards the water. Remembering a time when Donna and I ran on a moonless night towards the distant sound of the surf, more distant than we realized, peeling off clothes that only the best of luck allowed us to find again later, shivering.

I had to touch this water. From the other side.

It was a little warm and a little brown and I felt a little silly. But pleased.

Packing

Tomorrow.

I leave tomorrow. Today, I pack. Today, I check the weather one last time, take the umbrella out of the pile and put it back again. Today, I second-guess my socks, my shoes, everything. Today, I miss having a kitty to shoo out of the luggage.

As my close friends know, I've been struggling with a minor (well, in the scheme of things, doesn't always feel minor) health problem for a few months now. Dealing with it daily while fighting my HMO has definitely distracted me, and clouded my anticipation of this trip with worry instead of enthusiasm. Getting a nasty cold over the weekend didn't help.

But, I know, I really do, that my memories of the next few weeks will be of the best things. Just like when I look back on this summer and remember parties and camping with friends, laughing and love with JW, and a dozen beautiful moments, and I can't remember at all how I was feeling right then, whether the problem was better or worse that day. I only remember the joy.

To remind myself of that I'm taking along my One Good Thing bracelet, a memorial to Hudson, my friends' child who passed away in May but who taught us all to see the one good thing, to "to enjoy and cherish what is rather than worry about what should or shouldn’t be."

They call it brindle

Some loyal, long-time readers will recall that my very first real post to this blog was about shoes: First Steps

And indeed, Keen was a good place to start. Behold, for China and beyond, a new pair of walking shoes, in a browny grey - but not in that awful taupe way. They call it "brindle".

**Update: After wearing the new Keens all weekend, I have decided that while they are indeed comfy and versatile, they do not breathe. My feet were far too warm, even using the famed wicking merino socks. And that will not do.

Plan B:  My trusty fluevogs. Various vogs (from the Sara to the Gibson) have kept my feet happy on several other international adventures so it seems fitting that my current pair of studded vogs should come along this time.

Unless I change my mind again. In 29 days anything could happen.

Dot. Dot. Dot.  And it did.

After a 3-day test run of the vogs I decided they weren't comfortable enough and allowed no room for cushy inserts.  Back to Keen for the mary-jane version of the shoe I bought before. The open panel allows for breathing and I get comfort too.

Don't ask me about socks.

It's never too early

Tiga Lake, Nigeria - July 2001

A few folks have commented how early I've begun blogging about this trip. As you'll see, there's lots to do!

The last time I travelled (you'll pry the ll-ed/ing from my cold dead typing fingers) somewhere with a semi-tropical climate and pollution isses -- Nigeria 2001 -- I learned what a pain in the... neck long hair can be. But worse, how utterly impossible it is to keep bangs clean.

Therefore. I am officially growing my bangs out -- and I'll need the whole year to do that.

 

First steps

A good librarian, upon being selected for an international exchange, would first create a bibliography of appropriate resources.

Me? I started researching shoes. Obviously I'll have to buy some new shoes for this trip. And in keeping with my rigorous standards for packing light, I can only take ONE pair.  They need to be:

• comfortable
• professional
• versatile
• appropriate for a warm, humid climate
• provide protection from, uh... environmental factors

I'm thinking Keen is a good place to start my quest. Suggestions?