Think of it as "An Adventure"

So the more people we tell about this vacation, the more we realize that perhaps "vacation" is the wrong word to use.  I guess in our culture, this word elicits images of sunsets, white sand beaches, perhaps a massage or spa treatment...so when we rush to the store to buy, say, Pepto Bismol and Imodium AD in preparation, it occurs to us that we should use perhaps another word.

When we describe our travel plans to people, we notice that they don't say things like, "OMG, that's so cool!" or "I'm so jealous!"

Instead, their eyes widen a bit, they inhale slowly to buy time, and then come out with, "Oh, how nice...for you guys." or "Well, I hope you guys manage to have a good time."

When we mention things like tranquilizer guns, they ask, "For the animals...or for you?  Because, I think I would need to be tranquilized to do something like that."

.........

So we're goin with "adventure."

Here's what to pack for an adventure of this type:

*All requisite ID & shot records - in something you can keep on you at all times.

*Small bills for guards and entry ports that only accept exact change when crossing borders.

*All your meds - keep on you at all times if possible.  This is fun when you have a kidney stone.  I sound like a maraca walking around.

*Pepto Bismol pills - take two every day in order to calm your stomach.

*Malaria pills - we start taking these today.

*Imodium AD - in case the Pepto Bismol doesn't work.

*Special antibiotics - in case none of the aforementioned works and you need to break out the big guns.

*First aid supplies.

*Sun screen - lots.

*Lip balm - lots.

*Bug spray for your body and for your clothes - lots.

*Entertainment for the plane ride - lots.

I feel the need to elaborate here and explain that I am experiencing a miracle.  Not only am I not nervous (at all!) about the upcoming flights, but I actually look forward to 20 hours of inactivity!  Twenty whole hours of nothing to do, no one to call, no work to do, no cleaning, no packing, no bickering on our way to some store to pick something up.  Just...well, nothing.

G was telling our travel agent about this and she shrugged.  She said, "Just remind B that she said this when you guys are about 10 hours into the flight."

I might be singin' a different tune later, but right now, just let me look forward to it...

*CLIF bars

*Binoculars

*Layers, layers, layers of clothes.

*Cameras, batteries, memory cards, chargers, adaptors.

*Extra ziplock bags.

We have spent most of the day buying last minute digestive aids and the like, doing laundry, and packing.  Tomorrow morning we board Orca and then head to the airport.

At which point I plan to get on a plane and then sit on my butt for like, 24 hours or so.