The Day Before the Departure

It's finally here--the anticipated trip to South Africa. I hope it is just the tiredness of the season and the lack of motivation to start packing, but I find myself half wishing I had not planned to go. Anyone who knows how much I love South Africa would find that hard to believe. Maybe it is just dreading getting up at 4 a.m. in the morning, the long lines at the airports, the hassle of dragging bags from one checkpoint to another, or even the long flights, but my sense of anticipation is verging on none at the moment. I am sure once I arrive and get settled and active, it will be a joy as always. I have work to do on the flights (another book review) and a manuscript to revise, plus a book for just fun reading.

Since we transfer out of Schipol in Amsterdam, we will get the experience of going through the new body scan machines our our return flight to the US--at least it is anticipated that they will have them up and functional by the time of our return. I don't have any feelings one way or the other about it, to be truthful. It does not feel much different from going to the doctor and stripping down--it has a purpose associated with a greater good. I imagine it is no picnic for the workers to have to pat crotches of strangers or look at naked butts of middle-aged people either.

It is cold and raining here today, but supposed to warm up a bit and stop raining tomorrow. We fly through Minneapolis/St. Paul on our way out of the US, and it will be 9 degrees when we arrive there in the morning, and up to a whopping 11 by the time our flight leaves for Amsterdam. It will be snowing, too, but I assume airports like that are better prepared for those issues than the ones in the South who rarely experience it. At least, I hope so.

I guess it is time to drag out the suitcase and start on the task of packing--it isn't going to pack itself. I have checked in already, and have boarding passes, so all we have to do in the AM is check our bags and head to the security line. Wish me uneventful travels!