I’ve been working madly to get everything ready, and I think I’m almost there.  All my things have been moved into storage, the house is cleaned, I have flights booked, I have insurance arranged, I’ve said goodbye to everyone, and I’ve quit my job.  There’s very little left to accomplish before I board the plane to the US.

It all happened very quickly in the end.  For the longest time it seemed like something that I was doing in the future, and now the future is here.  The day after tomorrow I fly out.  I’m nervous and excited at the same time.  I’m far outside my comfort zone, and yet that’s the best part of this, the uncertainty.  How boring is a life of absolute certainty!  Almost anything can happen now.  How long will I travel?  Where will I travel?  What will I do, and who will I meet?  What a lot of unknowns! 

I’ll be flying in to Nashville, where my brother and his wife live, and I’ll use their house as my home base.  I have a bit to accomplish in the first couple of weeks, including getting a Tennessee driver’s license, getting a mobile phone, finding a car, and getting it set up for traveling.   I’m reading the Tennessee road rules handbook now, so that hopefully I can pass the written test quickly, and book my road test as soon as possible.  My brother has found a car that we think is likely to fit my requirements, and I’ll be test driving it the day after I arrive. 

Although I’m bringing most of my camping gear with me, I’ll need a few new things, like new hiking boots, pants and shorts, cooking gear, and a head lamp.  In addition to building a storage system into the car, I also think that I want a dual battery system to enable me to charge my electronics while preserving my main starting battery.  I think that a fire extinguisher, a few basic tools and automotive fluids, and (knowing me) a first aid kit will be quite useful.  No doubt I’ll refine my system as I travel as well.  I’ll start out with as little as possible, and only acquire what I really need.

The one thing that has me a bit nervous now is that my house and cars have not yet sold, so I don’t quite have the financial base that I had hoped for.  But there is some keen interest, so I’m hoping that it won’t be long before they do. 

There’s not much else to say.  I’m trying not to feel too much, or to be too emotional about this departure.  I’ll miss everyone, and also my lovely dog Bonnie, but I’ll keep in touch and hope to see everyone again.  This isn’t an ending.  This is a new beginning.