I'm Already Traveling the World, Kind Of

Here's a sample of what's going on in my mind in the countdown to our Great Adventure, aka, The Next Phase of Our Lives:

* OMG, we’re going to see kangaroos, wallabies, dolphins, crocodiles, and beer-drinking Aussies in their natural habitats!

* Giants World Series Champions tee-shirt:  My go-to item of clothing anywhere in the world.

* Visas for India and Australia:  Check.

* Google:  Do you need a visa for Hong Kong?  Um... And how long, exactly, can you stay in Europe?

* Will a month in Paris make me want to live there permanently?

* Food to finish off in the house:  Raw almonds (extra bag was hidden in the back of the pantry).   Popsicles (why, exactly, do we have four boxes in the freezer)?  Costco-size frozen bag of berries (smoothie alert).

* Sell or store our furniture?

* New massive suitcases:  Too big or too small?

* Santa Cruz Warriors tickets:  Check. (We can't leave Santa Cruz before going to one of the home-team games.)

* Sitting around the house feels so good.  Like, way good.  Like, better than it has in years.  It's like my body is in a chrysalis, prepping for the big reveal.

* Which poems should I use for the writing lesson I’ll be teaching high schoolers in Chennai, India?

* Call for a massage appointment; don’t waste that birthday gift certificate.

* I guess we'll be throwing away a bazillion bottles of half-used condiments.

* So many poetry books:  give to my office-mate Sally, Poet Laureate par excellence.

* What totally unimaginable astonishments will eyes-wide-open bring?  Do I have enough boxes of contacts?

* OMG, we’re going to see elephants in their natural habitats!  

* Teeth cleaning:  Check. 

* Get SCUBA certified, or just rock the snorkeling?

* These orange deck chairs are hankering to live with our neighbors.

* If someone from India watched a Broadway musical for the first time, would it seem as familiar and yet strange as Bollywood seems to me?

* Immunizations?!

* These clothes that have been hanging in my closet that I never wear:  Goodwill.  Good riddance.

* Yoga in India?  Will it take me to a whole new physical and spiritual plane?  Will I still be totally incapable of doing the full lotus?

* My softest jeans are going to see the world.

* I have a huge crush on my new HD Kindle and its sweet soft white case with a built-in Bluetooth keyboard—my little book-writing, blog-posting, web-surfing, book-reading, movie-watching road-companion goddess.  

* Will three months in Tahoe make me want to live there permanently?

* At least one more ride on the Giant Dipper—ideally with my sister, nieces and nephew.

* What will it be like to be in Hong Kong at the home of my friend Kathy, whom I haven’t seen in more than 20 years?  She's a momma now.


* Why do I love saying “Cape Cod”?  Must be the alliteration and spondaic meter.  After July, I will have a whole mass of images to accompany the sound.

* Uggs and Tevas, FTW.

* Will a month in San Diego make me want to move there permanently?

* AT&T, PG&E, cable company, credit card company, bank, post office…

* Purple dragon statue:  perfect gift for our Australian friend Mark’s 90-year-old mother, who apparently loves Asian-themed tchotchkes.

* Will Mark, who is a concert pianist, serenade us every day?  If I beg him?

* Who will we meet who will rock our worlds? 

* Waterproof money belts:  Check.

* Will a year traveling the globe make me want to live there permanently?