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01/19/23

One more day until I take off for some places I’ve never been. I am having some apprehension about the flights that I don’t normally experience. I don’t mind flying, but it’s the number of flights getting to me. I purchased them at a steal, but none are connected. So if any are delayed, I had to slate extra time in between legs. Most are overnight layovers. Fingers crossed.

I’m flying from Alaska to Seattle to Honolulu to Kauai back to Honolulu to Nadi, Fiji to Aukland New Zealand. My plan is to do everything and to be ok doing absolutely nothing. I have worked so long, I don’t really know what I like. This is me trying to figure out how to have fun – I’ve never done that.

I got almost everything done I set out to do before leaving, but wasn’t able to get rid of all my stuff. I was able to condense three storage units down to 2. I’m just starting to feel the dark of winter at my back. The torture of solitude in my daily to and fro is too much in my head, so I made it a point to jump out of bed, no looking at phone, no thinking about the past.

I made a video about gear. Packing for a long trip across so many places and environments isn’t easy for me. I plan for the coldest and most wet environment and simultaneously bring nothing of value or weight. Aside from the clothes on my back, my passport and a credit card, I figure I can just wing it. In the end, I ended up bringing about 65 items weighing in at 22+ lbs.

The only issue, aside from flights, is that New Zealand has just opened its borders post COVID, so I’m expecting a glut of travelers to be down there. Hotels, cars and camping spots are going to be limited, trails and activities loaded with tourists. If all else fails, I’ll buy a ticket to the Phillipines.