Only 2 more days!!!!

Ahhh!!  Only 2 days to go!!  Getting the last of my preparations done!!

I never realized how difficult it would be to prepare for being off-line and out of touch for 5 weeks!  I didn't know how much of my life revolved around the internet!!  All of my bills and communications with everyone.  Its going to be really hard to shut off for 5 weeks.  I will be an amazing experience to live without all the instant connectivity and being "on" all the time - but getting ready for it is kind of stressful.  I need to make sure all my bank accounts will have enough money in them to pay all my bills.  This sounds not too difficult but I have numerous bank accounts in different countries and lots of bills that are getting paid out of them.  Good thing I am an accountant and have some organizational skills otherwise this would be a total disaster!

And on top of that - I need to apply to renew my UK work visa.  But with the new biometric enrolment requirements, I am expecting some communications from the UK border agency while I am gone.  Thank God for my lovely friend Kelly!!!  She is going to sort out my mail and emails while I am away.  I wouldn't be able to survive without you Kelly (you better be reading this)!

Also - I have my bag all packed.  Just washing a few last things one more time and then I'll be all set.  Sadly it weighs in at 8.5 kilos!!  And I have at least .5 kilos more to add (around 19-20 lbs).  That's a bit more than I was hoping for.  But all the little things really add up.  I was just checking the weather and it looks like rain for the first few days / week.  SO I definitely need that heavy rain jacket I bought (super cool that covers my backpack too).  And it will have a few cold bits so I think I need my thermals and gloves...although maybe after the first few days I can get rid of those!!  I can't think of anything else I want to take out of my bag.  I have quite a bit of bandaids and padding for my feet - but since I get blisters just from walking in normal shoes...these are really necessary.  I have almost no soap / shampoo.  My sleeping bag is super light-weight (thanks Glenn!!!).  Urgh - so when I add water to my backpack I think it will weight around 25 lbs!!  That's a lot of weight to carry for 500 miles.  Hmmm...oh well - nothing is super expensive so if I am going along the way and decide I need to get rid of something, I'll have no qualms about just throwing it away :)

But my room is all clean now and ready for someone else to live here for the next 5 weeks.  I think I am sorted.  I'm sure there will be some last minute things I'll think about today and tomorrow and then hopefully I'll be all set!!

I am really ready to be gone!  It will be nice to just turn off and walk.  I won't have to think about anything - no work (not that I do much of that anyways), no bills, no money, no stress.  Just walking - and I really can't get too lost because I just have to walk west!!  I can't wait until Monday and I can get out of London and start my adventure!!!