Creature Comforts

January 18th - Martin Luther King Day, but not to be overshadowed by my D-Day!! Flight leaves tonight from JFK at 6:00, and I get to New Zealand Wednesday at 1:30pm. A combined 20 hours of flying and an 18 hour time difference makes for a long 2 days. My travel buddy Tim arrived yesterday afternoon.
I, of course, woke up at 4am this morning and was awake for a couple of hours. I had a nightmare that I had been sitting around chatting it up with my family and forgot about my flight, then had to do the mad dash through the airport to find that I had already missed the plane anyway. Woke up a little angry at my brain - what are you doing to me!? As I lay there listening to my “running river” noise machine and thinking about the episode of Desperate Housewives I had watched hours earlier from my warm comfy bed, I began to realize that I am going to have to live without a lot of “creature comforts” over the next year. I have planned for this trip, anticipated this trip, gotten totally excited for this trip, but for some reason, never really thought about some of the things I would have to give up. So as I embark on my first day of travel, I’ve decided to make a list of those things I will miss, those things I am not looking forward to, and those things that I am most excited about.

The things I will miss the most:
* Morning iced coffees from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks - It a headache preventing ritual.
* Driving my car - Although I sometimes drive like a crazy “Goos girl” (known for their high rates of speed, lane changing without a signal, and an overwhelming sense of entitlement), I will still miss the fun of it!
* Hugs from family and friends - I have the best people in my life.
* Free samples at Stew Leonard's - It makes for a free lunch on Saturdays and Sundays!
* My job - yes I know I say in my heading that life isn’t all about working 9 to 5, but I worked 8 to 6. Haha. Either way, I had a great job which I miss already!
* The birth of my niece or nephew (my sister is due in July, again!)
* Lots of hair product - not sure what I will do with my fro while I am away. Just like a beautiful garden it needs daily watering or in this case daily gelling, which I am not sure it is going to get. Maybe I’ll cut it all off?
* Home cooked meals - My sister made me my favorite dish last night (chicken pot pie) as my “last supper”, and it doesn’t get much better than that!!

The things I am NOT looking forward to:
* Listening to Timmy snore and speak to people in his sleep (which I just learned about last night)
* Wearing shower shoes - I haven’t done this since college!
* Possibly being the hairy girl - I am just not sure how often I’m going to get to shave!
* Very large bugs - My friend Andrea, usually at lunch, likes to tell me about all the large bugs she sees on the discovery channel, which inhabit the places I am traveling to. Did I mention I hate spiders?
* 3 pairs of underwear - No explanation needed
* Knowing who has slept in my bed before me - I bought a “sleep sheet” or as my mother likes to call it a “bed condom”, but I will still wonder where my bed has been!
* Pooping into holes in the ground - Well, I had to include it! Not only does it sound really gross, but it certainly begs the questions of how good my aim is, and how long my quads can hold me in a squat position!!
* Possibly getting sick in a foreign country - getting sick in the USA is tough enough, but at least I have my mom there to take care of me!

The things I am most looking forward to:
* New Zealand men - I hear they are like the Bounty Paper Towel Lumberjack Man who I love (hairy, rustic, chop wood, wear flannel)
* Knowing exactly what to wear everyday. With only 1 pair of pants and 2 shirts this should be a given. - I haven’t had this luxury since I lived in England when I was 12 and had to wear a uniform everyday to school!
* Bungee jumping, skydiving, white water rafting, repelling into caves - All the crazy action adventure sports!
* Beaches, beaches, and more beaches - Scuba diving in Thailand, the barrier reef and Fiji.
* Seeing and experiencing different cultures
* Food sampling - Yes I plan on eating bugs!! Or whatever the locals are serving up!
* Freedom from society’s constraints - Yes I am 27. No I am not married. Yes I just quit my job in this economy! Yes I am traveling around the world. AND yes I will be just fine!!

Well I am off to New Zealand. I’ll write when I get there!