Today is the Monday of departure week and since Eric and I are both living life like retirees at the moment I’m proud that I know what day it is. The past week has been full of laundry, errands and a to-do list that won’t quit. It’s amazing how you can fill your day with nothing specific but be physically out and about for hours. Purchasing last minute items, setting travel plans for our time in the states and getting financial and health info in order has kept me occupied. Pedro went in today for a last minute check by the Toyota mechanic in town. He’s skeptical of the adventure but has been helpful in the larger mechanical areas. At least the camper makes him smile every time we pull up. Eric earned a pass these past few days and is away on a backcountry hut trip. He has been whittling away a different never ending list; caulking, sanding, building shelves, wiring, etc. So he deserved a break while I am here being held responsible for packing. Really it couldn’t have worked out any better, since I do not need his help (or judgmental stares) while I rearrange the car a minimum of 5 times.
We are leaving for Taos on Thursday for some skiing Friday morning and then on to meet my brother and his roommate in Albuquerque to hand off my 4runner that evening. They are going to head west for a visit to the Grand Canyon prior to the San Diego drop off and we will be on our way to Lubbock, TX to see Eric’s paternal grandparents. While we understand that Texas might be a bit out of the way and receive the “what the hell is in Lubbock” stare a lot, really, what is a few hundred more miles in the grand scheme of things?
The official departure date of this Thursday (holy crap) seemed rushed at times but in the end, now that we are a mere three days away, it gave us the sense of urgency that we needed. We are meeting dear friends in Mazatlán the second week in March and to keep the time table we gave ourselves for Texas, Denver and California we needed to get a move on.
Also, who in their right mind would start a trip like this on Friday the 13th? Yikes.