It's been days since I've had time to visit this blog. The llast few days saw an endless stream of chores and last minute worries. With 6 days to go, we are psyching ourselves up for an amazing leap into Thailand. Naturally our emotions are all over the place, and there are significant peaks of giddy excitement.

Rather than babble on about the week's rollercoaster of events (and tedious chores), I'd rather share a loose list of what we're packing. I was fascinated by the packing lists from other travellers taking longer or shorter trips. They've helped us gauge what we should bring for a five week journey through Thailand. Hopefully some others may find our list useful for their trip.

Since we hope to see a wide variety of climates, we are bringing enough layers to keep us comfortable. We are also packing clothes that keep in line with customs in Thailand. We have read that Thais tend to frown on shorts, particularly on women, unless it's at the beach or involved in some sports activities. This may not be true. But if we find ourselves in need, we'll buy something cheap along the way.

Here is the rough list, more or less:

- 2 pairs of lightweight pants each
- 1 pair of shorts each
- 1 long, lightweight skirt for Shaunna
- 1 fleece pullover each
- 1 long sleeved shirt each
- 4 short sleeved shirts each
- 5 pairs of underwear each
- 3 pairs of socks each
- Swim suits
- 1 pair of runner’s shoes each
- 1 pair Chacos each
- 1 pair flip-flops each (for the showers)
- I belt each
- 1 lightweight sock hat each (for cool weather)
- 1 rain jacket each
- 1 sun hat each (for hot weather)
- Sunglasses
- Bandanas

- Toiletries & Medications
- small First Aid kit *
- 1 towel each
- 1 washcloth each
- 1 travel pillow each
- 1 Mini-Maglite each
- AA batteries
- Daypacks
- Travel locks
- Waterproof bags (for passports & electronic devices)
- 1 collapsible Nalgene bottle each
- Digital camera & extra memory card & accessories
- Mp3 player & accessories
- Sunscreen
- Bug repellent
- Large Ziploc bags
- Clothes line
- Laundry bags
- Small spiral notebook and pens
- Personal Books
- Guidebooks & Language books
- Money belts w/money, tickets & passports
- 1 Navy duffle bag each (to protect our backpacks during flights)

First Aid Kit:
- Ibuprofen or Aleve
- Dramamine
- Imodium
- Pepto-Bismol
- Phenargan
- Snake Bite kit
- Antibiotic ointment
- Grapefruit seed solution (check this stuff out online... amazing)
- Benadryl
- Band-aids
- "Oh My God I'm Flying" Meds

Some veterans may cough at the amount of things we're taking, while other people may think we're not taking enough. We have clever ways of cramming this stuff into our backpacks, and we've tried to keep our belongings as light and portable as possible. This is very much like packing for an extended backcountry camping trip; minus the food and tent, of course.

We are also preparing our bodies for the big changes ahead. We've eaten spicy Thai and Asian food almost every day for the last few weeks. We're walking around Town Lake more often to train ourselves for more activity. I've spent a great deal of time stretching and doing "downward dog". Pushups, waist exercises, and more.

I'm even taking breaks to sit in silence and deliberately push out my thoughts for a few minutes. I find that the more I let go of the moment itself the better I can experience it. I'm trying to silence the processing in my mind long enough to enjoy the moment free of distractions. I already feel more alive, and I'm enjoying the new found clarity.