A Simple Sojourn

I'm not sure if it's because I've done these trips so many times now that the idea of moving to Singapore in two weeks time isn't really phasing me all that much. Maybe it's because I am now the proud owner of almost nothing, and that leaves me with very little to manage in terms of preparation. Just pack my bags and go....almost.

There has been the usual sorting through old boxes, summer/winter clothes....the resulting giveaways, and amazement that after several years of committed downsizing, I have still managed to hold onto quite a bit of useless stuff. But other than this, my prep feels unusually simple, like something is wrong, or I'm missing something terribly important. Like a limb that I need to get reattached before I leave, and not only have I not scheduled the surgery yet, but I've yet to even realize it's gone. Where's the frantic scramble? The stress and anxiety? A million things to do and people to see? Well, it's nowhere to be found, at least not yet. Maybe in a week, or a few days before the actual departure, the reality that I have done nothing to prepare will come crashing down on me, but somehow I don't think so. It's feels similar to the to the fear I had the other day when I stepped out of the house and for a second thought I'd forgotten to put pants on. But nope, when I looked down (and I actually looked) there they were, firmly attached, zipped and form-fitting. Sigh of relief....

I do have a few things to do, starting with heading down to the passport office today to get my passport extended. It was a temporary one, good for only one year. That's because when I had to apply for a new one in Seoul this past summer, I didn't have my birth certificate on me, and in those cases they only give you one that's good for a year. So that still has to be done, and hopefully they can do it before the 24th, which is when I'm actually departing from Montreal. Heading to Vancouver to visit with my beloved friend Kathy en-route to Singapore. I'm very excited about that. First of all, I can't wait to have some face-to-face time with Kathy, given that our friendship has been mostly virtual for the past 4 years. I'm also going to be having lunch with her family, including father and sister who I have yet to meet. This pleases me tremendously as I have come to think of the Michael's family as my secondary one, for reasons that will probably sound strange and creepy should I attempt to explain here.

Oh yes, and then there's the issue of a ticket, which I have yet to purchase. Ticket, passport. Two very important elements that will inevitably contribute to the success of this trip. So, I guess I do have a couple of things to do, so I'd better go jump in the shower and wash my hair which I have interestingly avoided doing for a few too many days now. Canadian winter, that's my only excuse. Like the seals, a little extra oil goes a long way to keeping warm.