Friday, June 25, 2004

T Minus 30 Days

Today is the one-month horizon.  The condos are all lined up, the tickets have been purchased, the rental cars have been arranged - a jeep to start, for the rough roads and the mountain saddle; a convertible for later, when we cruise around with friends and visit the volcano.  It’s time now to start the tertiary planning - what food to bring, what spices; buying shorts and sandals, hats and snorkles; selecting books to read; filling up the iPod.  Jon mapped it out: it looks like we’re off on our own on the south side of the bay; two other houses are near each other off the center of the bay, and four more houses are clustered around the north part of the bay and the Champagne Cove, distinguished by geothermically heated water riddled with natural effervescence.  Kel and I will spend seven days elsewhere on the island and then eight days in our little party nook with our friends - some of the others, longer than two weeks.  And by “the others,” of course, I mean Dave and Kim and their kids, and Andy and Heidi and their kids (and for a short time, sister Heather and her husband John), and Jon and Lisa and their kids, and Sha and Helena, and Charles and Lori, and Neil and Deb, and Ralph and Catherine and their kids, and Brian, and Mary the yoga instructor.  Yeah, if it wasn’t cool enough that all my best friends wer going on vacation with me in paradise, there’s also the daily yoga instruction on the lawn at the edge of the earth.  I’ll be snorkling across the bathwater bay to do sun salutations while looking out over 3000 uninterrupted ocean miles toward my home. 

Yet I hesitate.  This trip is the life climax, the moment of fulfillment.  Many of us turn 40 this year and Kel and I celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary during the trip too.  All these milestones, and a lifetime to achieve them, and then another lifetime to look back on them.  None of us treat this as an ending - it’s just another beginning, of that we’re all sure.... yet it marks a turning, a change in the seasons of life.  Dave put it best a week or so ago as we strolled to my house with groceries or takeout or something: this trip is all about being in the future; in a perfect world it would never be in the past.  That’s not to say it should never happen, nor that it should last forever - but for two years we’ve planned our ultimate adventure party.  I don’t have a plan for where I go from there.  I mean, other than to the next party.  Maybe I should just consider this one as practice.

I would almost be envious of you if you weren’t going away the same time D was coming here to visit. I’ll be in bliss with you.

Ahhhhhh “practice” is one of my favorite words for it holds all the forgiveness for lack of perfection and all the promise for improvement....I consider every day of my life now as nothing more than practice.

This is so exciting. I’m also planning an adventure to happen the last year of my 30s (1 year of world travel) and I see it as a turning point in my own life.

The iPod...most important. :)

For two years you’ve planned this party.  What were you doing five years ago?  Did you have any idea that this is what you’d be doing, five years from then?  Point being (I think) you can’t know what new adventure that has yet to even take seed in your imagination will be occuring in the future.  Try not to let the imminent completion of this adventure overshadow the adventure itself.

Also, please say hi to Pele for me.  She hangs out near the volcanos, usually.

Since Nikita mentioned Pele: If you’re up for it, I have something for you to take back to Pele for me. It has caused me more trouble than expected and I’m guessing that’s her way of saying she wants it back.