28 days later

we've got just 4 weeks left before boarding the plane for auckland, so i thought i'd give you guys an update about what we've been up to in the last few months and what's ahead in the coming weeks.

this weekend we sold my beloved toyota echo. fortunately, the sale process was quick (it sold within 24 hours of the craigslist posting) and we were able to get the full amount that we'd asked for it. that will certainly help us finance the last portion of the trip, as we will need to dip into our house and emergency savings for our remaining funds. may the echo bring the same great joy to julie, its new owner, as it has to me. may its already generous gas mileage be multiplied a hundredfold.

we've also been wrapping up the purchasing of our remaining items for the backpacking portion. things still on my list include long underwear (they appear to make these only for basketball players), a headlamp, camp shoes (suggestions, anyone?), a stuff sack or compression sack, some first aid supplies, and a few other things that i'm forgetting at the moment. we're planning to buy our stove and fuel when we arrive in new zealand in order to avoid potential confiscation by airport officials.

some of my favorite recent purchases include the books that we chose for airplane and trail reading, c.s. lewis' letters to malcolm: chiefly on prayer and ernest shackleton's south: the endurance exploration for me, and an interesting-looking (i'm not allowed to read it until he's done with it) book called the film club: a memoir for bryan. we'll also bring our bibles along (maybe just one, to save weight?) and a to-be-determined series of maps. if weight weren't a factor, i'd also bring along the lord of the rings, but instead i've decided to give them one last read before i go so that i can begin my journey with the hobbit spirit.

speaking of weight, i'm pleased to announce that my estimated pack weight is 22 lbs. this is my base weight, so it does not include fuel (or, for now, a stove), water, or food, which would bring my total up to a maximum of about 45 lbs. i'm trying to find ways to cut my base weight to 20 lbs and my max weight to 40 lbs, which i'm sure will come with more experience on the trail.

we each have 4 days of work left. bryan is planning a celebratory burning of his greasy panera clothes, but i am currently less able to express joy at our departure. i have much more work to do than will fill my remaining 32 hours, and would rather not leave my successors with less than fond feelings towards me if i'm not able to complete their training or if i have to pass off my files in their current chaotic condition. sorry, guys.

i'll try to keep this to a readable size - more to come later. if anybody wants to help us with the moving process, we'll be loading up our u-haul next wednesday evening and will then take it to our storage unit in burnsville. and if anyone wants to get together before we go, let us know - there are still plenty of days available for friends.

rachel