Hat? Check

I'm fired up and ready to go: I've got my safari hat. I was told at the store that it is in the Hemingway style, especially if you button up one side of it. Anyway, now that I've got my official safari gear, the rest of packing everything I will need for the next four months should be easy, right? I mean, let's face it, theoretically I could just head to Kenya with that hat and a bunch of Barack Obama paraphernalia with which to barter and be set for the entire time.

My main goal for this week is not to fall back on my typical practice. For example, last summer when I had to pack for a month-long voyage from Hawaii to San Francisco I spent the morning of my flight to Hawaii madly throwing things into my suitcases with the help of three other people. Like this trip to Kenya, I had to bring everything I needed for that month on the ship, because obviously I couldn't run to the store in the middle of the Pacific to pick up some toothpaste. But the challenge for the voyage was also to minimize what I was bringing because all of my personal items went into my bunk with me, as space is limited on a boat. By contrast, now I am packing for four months, and I'm pretty sure I could fill up an entire suitcase with toiletries, bug spray, and sun screen alone. Anyway that morning last June, I was convinced that I would miss my plane, and though I did somehow manage to make it, needless to say it was not a fun experience. So now, with just under a week left until I'm schedule to travel, my goal is to do everything in a calm and orderly manner. We'll see how that goes.