T-minus 7 days and counting...

As someone who has been privileged to watch many a Space Shuttle launch, I felt like this title was appropriate to our pending departure!

We have now completed all of our scheduled ballet & piano lessons, dress rehearsals, recitals, doctor's appointments... cakes have been made & delivered...family has visited and gone home... and Abbie will finish her testing tomorrow. So at this point, we are pretty much left with -- PACKING!!!

My dining room table has completely been taken over with trip "stuff" and I haven't even gotten the majority of the "stuff" out there yet! The RV rental guy has assured us that if we've planned well, we should be able to load all of our stuff into the RV within an hour and then be on the road... Umm... okay... sure... He obviously has never met someone who has perfected the art of over packing!!

(Of course, this was also the same guy who suggested that we use big black Hefty trash bags in lieu of suitcases-- so, naturally I'm a bit skeptical of his advice!! Are you kidding me?? I'm so NOT going to rummage around in a big trash bag for my clothes for three weeks-- even IF as a 'bonus' we can later use the bags for either actual trash or just for dirty clothes... Thanks but no thanks! Just for the record, I chose also to skip suitcases but have replaced them with big plastic bins which I think will be easier to maneuver in and out of the storage area.)

So the reality of leaving home for three weeks is starting to set in, and I think we are all just a bit nervous about the 'unknowns' ahead. Even with all of the careful and detailed planning (see: Blue Notebook), there is still quite a bit of this trip that feels like we are setting off into the "Great Unknown Land to the West"! I have a whole new admiration for the pioneers of the 1800's who set off on the trails west, unsure of what they would encounter and having to take supplies that would have to last them for YEARS. And they did this without the aid of the Internet, computers and GPS's! We've studied a bit about these brave souls this year during our overview of American history, and it really is amazing when you stop to consider how many people accepted the challenge and opportunity to settle new lands and to help our country grow. Those pioneer families have my utmost respect.

I guess I can handle packing for 3 weeks with the realization that we will probably pass a Wal-Mart roughly every 20 miles in case we forgot something... and I can appreciate even more that I won't have to WALK the entire route west (can you even IMAGINE??!)

I'm feeling better already...