Time to go!!

It is the eve of my departure and I am more than ready to go! Half the house is packed, including my crock pot- a true necessity for a good meal on the road. I think I have shirts, pants, shoes and jackets for every weather condition dreamable.

As I finished organizing today, I found myself packing about 15 books, several projects I have started and never completed, and all the notes from past workshops that were fabulous, but I never went through them. So I guess I have some rather unrealistic vision that I will read the books, complete the projects, come up with a strategy for our book through all my notes from the workshops, sightsee, hang out with friends and family, and take a lot of much needed “Dana time.” Hmmm…

To explain this trip to so many of my friends that can’t figure out why on earth I would travel for 8 weeks alone, here it is: I have been just about to fall off my own mountain lately and need this break from my daily life!! I have always used traveling to keep myself balanced mentally. If you picture a balloon, it starts to lose air and then becomes empty. The traveling fills my balloon back up and recharges me. Starting at just a few months old, I traveled far and wide at least a month out of every year. Usually more than a month. These past few years have been great, but my balloon has been empty for a while and I don’t want to take my cabin fever out on everyone else. And that’s the direction I feel I've started heading. I have not seen the country/world as I have been used to for so many years. When I heard my boss say we were going to have two months off work because of a slow economy, there was no question in my mind what I was going to do with the time. While many are singing a sad song about our economy, I am cheering at the opportunity to follow my dreams!

I promise to be as safe as I possibly can. I have packed many emergency supplies, (actually, I should buy stock in snickers because I have half a car of them. I won’t starve, that’s for sure.) Oh, and a neat little fact you might want to know or might not because who knows what causes this, but Vita Rain doesn’t freeze. So I have 2 cases of it. Just in case I get stuck in freezing temperatures, I will not go thirsty and won’t have to melt dirty snow. I promise to watch my back and not stop in rest areas. I plan to be off the road by dark and will carry self defense supplies. I ask each of you that have worries to take those worries about my travels and turn them into angels that will make this a safe, dream journey. Thank you for your good wishes and prayers. They are greatly appreciated!!!!!

I't time to get a full night sleep for the trip ahead tomorrow :)