AFTER MY LAST TOUR of this sort I thought I was done with this format of touring.  That wasn't due to any fault of the tour organizer - far from it - but after having completed two dozen iterations of this variety of trip the novelty had long since worn to microscopic thinness.  So it came as something of a surprise to find that I filled some idle time last week- well over a week before my planned departure- by pulling and packing the things I plan to take.  Packing has always been an early tip-off that my anticipation and excitement for any given bit of travel are building.

As it turns out, that effort was premature but it still had some value.  Not only did I end up needing to use some things before departure that were already packed, but I had overlooked and missed some items that need to make the trip.  It was good to have had the time to think, mull, cogitate, ponder, and reflect on what was in the bag and what else needed to be.  So, probably tomorrow (the day before I depart), I'll re-do the whole exercise.

Finally, I've found myself growing increasingly antsy with each passing day.  "Is it time to go yet?"  "Why am I waiting?"  "When does Thursday get here?"  You'd think I was a four-year-old waiting for Santa Claus, or a teen-ager waiting for spring break to begin.

And now I've less than 48 hours to go before I depart.  I can hardly wait.