On the road Again 2015 - Prologue #2

Four weeks from today I will be on the train somewhere just east of Hornpayne, Ontario (on the assumption that VIA is on time - which at best is a bit optimistic). This time in four weeks plus one day I will be somewhere west of Winnipeg hopefully ensconced in a nice vehicle heading to somewhere near or even past Calgary. As I look out the window at the dark, grey and cold sky, I can only hope that if I am standing on the road - the weather regardless of where I am, is nice. I really thought this year that I would be leaving earlier but my granddaughter is graduating from grade eight this year. I would not miss that event for anything.  

I have already spent a fair amount of time thinking about what I need to do get ready for my trip.  I have planned this trip so often in the past ten - fifteen years that I really don't need to spend a lot of time thinking about what I need to do. Everything is almost ready. I don't even need to make any new signs. None-the-less yesterday I dug out my pack from the closet where it is stored in all winter. I have checked my basic equipment and determined that except for a pair of smell-proof socks, a green tee- shirt, sun tan lotion and perhaps some new batteries for my bluetooth key board - I am good to go. In fact I was tempted to pack yesterday but it is too soon even for me. Perhaps next week I will take a trial run at seeing what I can squeeze in and what I really don't need. As usual - this process of packing and re-packing is one that I take great delight in. I will spend hours deciding what to take and what to mail. If I can't leave tomorrow - at least I can practice getting ready.

I find it rather interesting that almost everyone that I know and meet on the streets of Peterborough or at the market - the first thing they ask of me is "when are you heading west?". Even my dental surgeon who, now that he has pulled out the broken tooth, needs to implant some sort of post into my jaw to hold the implant, asked me when I was leaving. The staff at my regular dentist had asked me the same question just two days earlier.  I think that some of them would be as disappointed as I if I ever said that I was not going. I am not too sure what I would want put on my tombstone (if I was going to be buried) but I suppose being labelled as someone who travelled west most summers would be just fine.

So the official countdown has started. I am getting excited. I am more and more curious as to where the big trucks that I see on the streets of Peterborough are heading next (and wondering if they would pick me up), vibrant images of spots along the highway that I have stopped at before, pop into my consciousness at unasked-for moments and the semi-awake dreams (fantasies) of rides that I may get are consuming larger and larger chunks of my just-as-I fall asleep and as I wake moments.

A month from now I will be on the road and I can't wait!