42 Days to Go!

We have a growing pile of gear on our dining room floor, and a long list of things to do. This week Dave paid for the van and driver that will pick us and our bike boxes up at Heathrow. Our two silk sleep sheets arrived (as I suspected, they are way too big for the kids; I think they will go without sheets). We finally bought an iPhone XR to replace our iPhone 5. It will be our camera, communication tool, and navigation tool.

Still to be done:

• Find tenants and prepare the house for renters
• Find someone to mow while we're gone
• Enroll in new health insurance
• Prepare first aid kit
• Get a second pair of shoes for the kids and myself (besides biking shoes)
• Figure out downloadable maps (maps.me)
• Finish preparing the bikes and gear, especially cooking supplies
• Figure out the best way to load the kindles with books for the kids
• Buy miscellaneous gear, like camping towels, journals, art supplies, kids' sunglasses
• Practice packing and riding loaded bikes
• Join warmshowers.org
• Finish concrete job at the farm
• Get our hair cut

I like comparing my to-do list to Mom's list from 1983 when we were about to be in Europe for a year. On April 20, 1983 she said,

Still to do:

• Finish address book
• Pack Calvert stuff (for schooling on the road)
• Pack winter box
• get Kirk's jacket
• Haircuts for all
• Have Wendy over (tenant)
• Rabbit to Hunt Valley (car tune-up)
• Outdoor bed for Pepper (dog)
• Books for Liv
• Sleep sheets - cut down kids'?
• Food in freezer
• Clean up bathroom
• Clean up cold cellar
• Bird seed
• Dog and cat food

Of course, in 1983 we were planning to be gone for 12 months, which is an entirely different degree of challenge. Whew -- three months is hard enough.