Racing to the Starting Line

At first I was going to title this post "Racing to the Finish", but then I realized that everything I've done up to this point is really all about getting me to the starting line on Sunday morning! It's a whole shift in thought that I really need to get used to. I feel like the To Do list is still haunting me, and I worry that I'll arrive in London, find a wireless hotspot, and continue to get ready for the trip, even though I'll actually be on it! I've been preparing for so long I think it will be hard to realize when I need to start DOING.

That said, the last few days in Saskatoon have been kind of like my last few days in Winnipeg - much busier than I expected (though with lots more home-cooked meals!). Because I've been perpetually swamped since about January, I put off some things that I knew I could leave until now, so I've been trying to get through that.

For instance, here's a shot of me taking part in the traditional Sewing of the Flag onto the Backpack:

(Ok, this makes me look a bit like The Joker. What can I say? I'm tired, and I'm 40...)

I've also "pimped my daypack" so that the zipper tabs have little hooks on them that snap onto metal rings thus preventing the zippers from being surreptitiously opened by nefarious evil-doers while I'm distracted by, oh, The World.

I finally decided on which travel insurance I'm going with. I chose World Nomads over Bon Voyage (a product designed for Travelcuts) though it was a tough choice. What tipped the scales for me is that World Nomads offers $2,500 of coverage for lost or stolen baggage, whereas Bon Voyage coverage is only $800. On the other hand, Bon Voyage offeres $50,000 for death and dismemberment vs. World Nomad's $10,000. I guess I just figured the odds of me losing some important bit of kit are greater than the odds of me being dismembered. Or perhaps I'd just like to believe that, so all you actuaries out there can just keep your contradictory information to yourselves, 'cause it's too late.

I've also insured my car for storage, replaced the battery in my watch, scanned some more important stuff, bought a better second pair of running/sleeping shorts, informed my credit card companies that I'm leaving the country, got some earplugs, printed out stuff that has to be in hard copy, got a folder to carry stuff that has to be in hard copy, tested my Citizen's Bank ATM card, fixed the mic volume problem with my Skype headset and bought Skypeout credit for calling regular phones with Skype (for just 3 cents/minute!).

And I nailed down a lot of my itinerary for England, booked a lovely B&B for a couple of nights outside of London, and bought my Great Britain guide book. Most importantly, though, I've been in touch with the London Hash House Harriers! They're running on the evening I arrive, so what better way will there be to cap off a long long long day of traveling and jetlag than with a Hash run and a pint of Real Ale.

It's almost time!