Turning dreams into reality, the unwavering presence of time and to be or not to be

This has been a big week as far as preparations go for the trip. Things are starting to move around.  Planning and talking is quickly being replaced by actions.  Shapes are being taken where ideas once stood.  We’re on our way!  Well, almost.

First, we were officially accepted as part of the crew on our voyage (yes, it most certainly will be a voyage, not just a trip) to Antarctica aboard the Bark EUROPA.  Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale.  We will join about forty other fools and a crew of twenty something (hopefully) capable people, floating down our merry way to quite possibly, our death.  If it’s fated that my time has come on this voyage, I hope to at least see Antarctica first and die on the way back.  The EUROPA would certainly make an attractive (and extra fancy) coffin.

We also (finally) got our ticket to South America!  We won’t get to Antarctica without going through South America first. After much hemming and hawing and complete and utter indecision based on a multitude of factors, we finally agreed to start the trip in Buenos Aires.  We leave JFK airport in New York on October 3.  We arrive to Buenos Aires at 1:30 am on October 4 and plan to spend the first 5 hours of our long awaited trip in the freaking airport.  Yes, you read that right.  When we first started planning this trip, we were going to land in Brazil and start the trip off in a true bombastic fashion and now we are arriving in the middle of night to sleep in the airport.  Not exactly the beginning I had hoped for.  This is the handiwork of the crazy boyfriend.  At first I protested, but I figure now is a good idea to start trusting his hare brained schemes since it’s highly certain that I will undoubtedly be bombarded by many more of these types of ideas.  I won’t even get into the reason(s) why we are hanging out in the airport. I’ve already discovered that this airport is a decent one for sleeping thanks to this bizarre, yet informative website.

Laurent also got his ticket to the USA.  He will arrive in JFK on August 22nd.  This is a highly anticipated event in my world.  Although we are going to be so very tired of each other after travelling together for 2 years, I miss him for the moment.  I haven’t seen him since April and honestly, it’s taxing planning everything over hour (plus) long skype sessions.  It will be nice to do the planning together in person.

Time has relentlessly started breathing down my neck, as Time is so good at doing, especially when there are things to be done.  Indeed, there are many, many things to be done, in addition to the normal life things that need to be done.  I won’t get into crazy detail but it basically involves packing up my scattered about life as it is now and condensing into one bag that I will live out of for the next 2 years.  And then there are the other unpleasantries including but not limited to (by any means!) getting vaccinated, selling my vehicle, changing my banks, making copies of everything, moving my stuff, and etc, etc.  all while working 60 hours a week and trying to see as many friends and family as I can squeeze in.  Fortunately, my back has been doing 100 % better through all this but I can loudly hear the tic, toc, tic, toc…..

I would like to say that I have been diligently ticking off the boxes of my very well organized list of “things that I must do  before I go” and I am going along right on schedule.  But that would be a big lie. And a joke.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a very good procrastinator.  I wait and wait (and wait)  to the last moment, when at last a chaos volcano erupts but somehow, some way, it all gets done.  I’ve tried to avoid that this time.  It’s not working so well.  Laurent is highly organized and is therefore, diligently ticking his boxes.  And you think that it would help me move along.  But it doesn’t.

On a positive note, the planning is going pretty well and we have the first leg of our trip pretty well ironed out.  We’ve decided to keep Uruguay.  We’ll go from Buenos Aires to Rosario in Argentina and then back to Buenos Aires.  I know that makes no sense but you’ll have to ask the crazy boyfriend about that one too.  After spending a week in B.A. learning spanish , we’ll travel into Uruguay.  We’ll spend about a week just on the southern coast of Uruguay, cross back to Argentina and stay there covering the entire country from north to south, ending in Ushuaia for the big boat on Dec 28.

The most substantial obstacle we are facing regarding the planning is whether or not to bring the tent.  This decision carries much weight as far as budget concerns are.  We can save a lot of money if we camp often.  And let’s face it.  I like to camp.  I’ve gotten really good at it.  But there are huge downsides.  Where are we going to keep valuables when we are away from the tent?  We’ll have to carry everything with us?  How annoying!   Plus it’s heavy, bulky and if we bring the tent, we have to bring sleeping bags and other camping stuff.  There is no decision yet.  Maybe I should start another poll?  What do you guys think?  Should the tent be or not be?