In March I began walking during my lunch breaks to start training for my annual hike. I know that I can never be prepared for hiking in the mountains, but I know that doing some type of training is 1000 times better than no training. In the past few weeks I have started adding a section of stairs into my walking routine and have set a "schedule" of training through June. The days are getting hotter and more humid; good for me to get "acclimated" to what I might experience during our hike or at least that is what I tell myself.  There is nothing that can completely prepare me for the "trail" and each year I struggle and each year I vow to never return, that this year is my last, yet each year I return, the prodigal daughter to the woods.

The annual hiking trip is my annual detox. The 10 days out of the year that I let go of the last years accumulation of people, technology, responsibilities, life. The 10 days that I face my fears, my limitations, my strength, myself. The 10 days that keep me centered. The 10 days that give me a glimpse into my place in the Universe. The 10 days that will begin my year long journey. 

Since I need to have an itinerary for China before I can send in for my visa,  this week is dedicated to research of my route and stays. I continue to find more and more I wish to see in this large country. Now I am not sure if 45 days will be sufficient and I look at possibly changing the last part of my journey. I cannot really extend if I plan on ending my trip as I begin on the Appalachian Trail, so changes will have to be made anywhere between Bangkok and Fiji. This decision does not have to be made this week and if I do extend my stay I cannot send the application in before the first of June. I have the month of May to work this out.

My passport has returned home today!  I run my fingers across the India visa affixed in my passport.  The dream is quickly becoming a reality. Less than 3 months before I leave the known and step into the unknown.

In the contradiction of fear and excitement, I work on packing the belongings I wish to keep. I vow to wrap and pack at least 2 items from my entertainment center daily. More if I am compelled, but never less. To start this project is easy, just 2 items from my collection that I know I want to keep. But as my limitation of 2 boxes fills, what will I decide to cut? What will that criteria be? Will that cut affect the relationship to the person or feeling that is connected with that item? Yes, they are only things and in the grand scheme of it all, the things are nothing significant. The only significance is what I and perhaps others have placed on them.

I faced this similar dilemma when I downsized to my apartment last year. It was a very emotional process, ridding myself of things that held an emotional tie.  20 years of raising children and 20 years of attachment to the memories and emotions meant that an emotional cleansing was needed. Now that over a year has passed, I realize that the cut that was made was only to the object itself. I can still easily recall the memories of camping with my children, soccer games, 4th of July parties, the items are not necessary to bring up those memories.  I ponder finding a new home altogether for my collection.

I sent off my visa application for India today. It was a bit nerve wracking because I kept having issues. First my printer at home is not working, not a huge problem in the realm of online applications. Right? Not so fast Lisa..

The India application online is fairly easy to navigate. I did require a reference IN India and a hotel that a reservation is held at can be that reference. Since the India portion of my trip is not until next  year, I had not really made any definite plans yet... Time to go searching.... Good thing that the India application has a temporary number they give you so that you can return to it later. After a couple of days of searching, I found one hotel I wanted to stay in and booked the room, now back to that application. Temporary reference number worked like a champ, put in the information for my reference and on to the next page. All said and done,  now time to print. I was worried that this would be an issue and it was not a problem at all I can save the .pdf, mail it to myself and print it off at another location. Great! Done! Got my special number..

Now to do the outsourcing company's application. I plugged in my India application number... a lot of the information prefills.. great this is going to be E A S Y! Agree, Agree. Presto! WHAT?! My only option from here is to print? No .pdf? No, you can't come back later and print it off from another computer! NOOOOOOOO!!

Deep breath... Ok, not a problem, I can do this at a computer I can print at. Good solution, not an issue. At the new computer, I go to the outsourcing company's site, plug in the India application number.. "Sorry, that number has already been used. Either enter another number or begin a new India Visa Application." I want to cry as I start the entire process over. It was quicker and easier the 2nd time around and everything is in order, money order in the envelope, goodbye passport, hello shipping company. Now to wait.

Its done! I told my boss. I know that after she makes it through the "grieving process" that things will  be fine.  I thought the nervousness I have felt about telling her would get in the way... Surprisingly at the time I was very relaxed and it came out quite easily. She is taking it pretty hard. I hope that she realizes that the 3 months I am giving her are because I respect her as a person and not because I want to torture her for 3 months.

It seems that things just fell into place. A girl in the office, whose contract is coming up at the end of May, will be my replacement. She will start training this month in the early morning hour of 7:00 - 8:00.

I purchased my tickets through February of next year!  I will be starting the abroad journey in Europe where I will travel by ground through the end of the year. After the new year I will head to Asia. The plan from there will be Australia/New Zealand, a stop off at Fiji and then back to the US. I could not book all the tickets as you cannot book out over a year; therefore, while in Europe I will book the remaining tickets. 

Luckily many of the places I will be traveling to do not require a visa ahead of time. The only visas that I can really get before I leave are India (10 yr visa) and China (1 yr). Since the India visa is for 10 yrs, I will apply for it first since the China visa will need to be valid through my stay there and I will have to wait to send it.

I plan on breaking the news to my employer tomorrow. I am very nervous. I know that she relies on me to do a lot of things and this will "stress her out" but I also know that all will be fine for her in the end. She needs me a lot less than she thinks she does.