When I begin planning a trip it seems that there is SO much time to do that, and time does seem to go slowly at first. My United app will tell me how many days to our trip, and that number is usually at least in the 90s.
Suddenly, though, time starts racing by. Go figure.
I have two students to teach (today), one opera to play (tomorrow), and one audition panel to be on (Monday). Tuesday will be packing day. Wednesday will be laundry day to prepare for our house guest’s stay. We leave Wednesday night.
Am I ready? Well, of course I could leave today if I had to. But I still look at what I have sitting out and wonder, “Can I do without that? How about this? Do I need to add one more thing?” We are doing a walk, so I have to take trekking poles (Darn, that means checked luggage), and we’ve been told there is a possibility of rain in some locations so a light rain jacket is included. Our walking company says to bring a “fleece” (well, mine won’t be fleece, but it will be warm yet very packable). If I didn’t travel with a camera things would be even lighter, but I’m not quite at the place where I’m willing to give that up. Yes, the iPhone is great, but if you print something large you can sometimes see some issues, and I don’t like what the macro setting does to the background.
Because we are doing a walk again I also have to pack twice. First I pack for when we are on the walk: anything I don’t want in my daypack (side note: mine is black and it appears they no longer sell that) has to fit in the bag the transport company picks up for us (we are only allowed one bag per person). If I can’t get everything in (and I’m planning on bringing the Osprey Sojourn Porter 46L this time) I have to rethink things. THEN, once I know that will work, I pack for the rest of the trip. I did a trial of both of these a week ago, but of course things have changed so now I’ll do that again. Maybe today, in fact, for the “walk packing”. We shall see. (If it fits for the walk it will definitely fit for the rest, so that part can wait until I really must pack for the flight.
Anyway, it truly is countdown time, and I’m distracted by that and have a difficult time thinking about teaching and performing, as well as judging auditionees for principal oboe in the opera, but I know once I’m in my studio, in the pit, or sitting in the hall facing a huge screen so I can’t see the players, I will click into work mode rather quickly.
