Finally. After all the list making, shopping, packing, e-mailing, phone calling and rearranging, I am ready to go. Waiting until 2 o'clock in the afternoon seems like an eternity to leave for the airport. Usually, when we fly places we are up before dawn and take early flights, but flights overseas don't generally work out that way.
So, after a hearty breakfast and lunch we drag all the gear out onto the front lawn just to get a look at it before we stuff it into the car and get going. Our daughter, Beth Ann is excited for me as she happily dons her PolarTREC tank shirt and poses with me next to the heap of necessities. Radar, our cat, is generally suspicious of luggage since it often means he will be receiving his meals from friends who come to check on him and his brother, Shadow. He doesn't need to worry since my husband, Gary, will be sticking around for a while but there really isn't any use in explaining that to a cat.
Claude and Beth Ann pose on the lawn as we prepare to leave for Newark Airport.
Speaking of Gary, he has been very supportive throughout this preparation process. In fact, he has been the photographer, patient shopping companion and journal critique person for these past two months. After being married for 23 years, taking a month away from each other is a first time event. I'm glad that we have a lot of friends who will be looking after him and Beth Ann while I am away. Not that they aren't perfectly capable but let's just say that a teenage girl and her father might not always see things from the same perspective.
Claude and Gary and one last pause at the house before the Kamchatka Adventure begins.
Looks like they are getting ready to board. Wish me luck!