OMG - I'm not ready!!

I don't often admit to being overwhelmed, but getting ready for this trip - while trying to arrange for normal life to be put on "hold" - has brought me to my knees. We're hours from leaving the house and I'm still trying to wrap things up... and I've NOT even had a chance to PACK!!

There's probably a lesson in all of this, and I think this trip is going to be a tough teacher. I thought Rita and I were pretty savvy travelers - simple and flexible. We're used to traveling internationally, both of use have been to more than 20 countries (only about 10 of those since we met each other 15 years ago). We're comfortable grabbing stuff a few hours before heading to the airport. I had no idea, however, how much time it was going to take to re-tool for extended travel. Going to a few countries at a time is one thing, but putting 14 (pretty much back-to-back) creates significant logistical challenges.

The journey doesn't start today, just the travel part does.

In the past two months, since this RTW (round the world) idea came up, we've been building a shell for the trip. Getting a basic itinerary together has given us the skeleton schedule, but the remaining/incomplete details are even scaring me. Each of the 14 countries we're going to, I think Rita has been to one (Greece) and I've been to one (Australia). Each country has different complexities. While most didn't require advance Visas, 5 do (4 down, 1 to go). Countries want to know when you're coming and going, which means we had to get the international flight schedules together. We're arriving and departing from many of the countries extremely late or early, so we need advance accommodations on those dates.

I think I've counted 22 flights so far, many on our RTW SkyTeam ticket... but we're also using places like Sydney, Bangkok and Cairo as jump-points for our own flights. Think this is the airline list (so far):

• V-Australia
• Northwest/Delta
• South African Air
• Egypt Airlines
• Korean Air
• Czech Airlines
• Asian Air
• Kenyan Air
• KLM Airlines
• Air France
• Italian Airlines
• South Asian Air
• Virgin Blue
• Vietnam Airlines

By the time we're done we will have likely used about every form of transportation... from the RV in New Zealand at the end of next week to a Chinese Junk (boat) in Vietnam's Halong Bay.

I guess I'm just trying to justify the weight of complexity, to counterbalance the depth of my anxiety. Sure, I'm excited, but there's just too many "unknowns" to not worry.

I'm excited that my little travel guitar came, but hve no idea if I'll be allowed to carry it on with all the other stuff we're taking. My broken leg is healing, but will the TSA let me through security with my trekking sticks? I look at our living room floor and see everything in a pile, waiting to find a place in our bags.

Wait a minute... why am I blogging... I better sign off... thinking about all of this is keeping me from packing. Duh, I should be better at prioritizing than this.