Well, it has finally arrived. It’s packing day. One of the great things about a pilgrimage hike is that you don’t have much stuff, and EVERYTHING you need to bring is in your backpack. But how on earth do we get three months of supplies to fit? Well….here’s how – watch to the end for a surprise ending.

Another tradition for me is to buzz my head which means shaving off all my hair, I don’t shave during these walks, so I start out our pilgrimage with a very shiny white head. Some joke that it’s all part of a weight reduction scheme. But I have yet to go for the eyebrows, so I can’t be serious about the weight reduction, right? What is kind of sad is that shaving my head bald USED to make a big difference in my appearance….not so much any more! Ahhh, my sixties! Allison and Nadine refuse to join me in this tradition….they are such party poopers!

There are so many emotions on a day like today. There is the inevitable “Oh No!! I completely forgot about XYZ”. There is also this nagging feeling that, despite the amazing adventure that is about to start, there is so much about home that is wonderful and will be missed. Most off all, we will miss time with our kids and darling granddaughters and extended family.

But as the hours tick by, a quiet silence falls across the house. The power is being shut down as is the water. Trash pickup and other utilities have all be paused. Allison and I scurry around, doing the things we want to do at a resigned but purposeful pace. Then comes the evening. All the work is done. The car is packed for the morning drive to the Nadine’s place and then to the airport. We wait…but not for much longer.