We had our initial meeting (online) on Wednesday, May 25, 2016, to discuss the logistics of our trip. Rule Number One was "no whining." This is a two-fold problem for me: first, what am I going to do with all my time now that my favorite pastime has been taken away? and second, I thought this was a train trip, where my greatest fear was Tom throwing me from the train (like Momma).
Up until now, I was worried about whether or not I would be able to comfortably sleep on the train (in the sleeper cars, which apparently we aren't going to get - although if I get four of the mini-pillows they hand out for free, it might make a facsimile of a real pillow). But now, I am hearing about kayaking among alligators and hiking up mountains! What did I get myself into? My idea of roughing it was once I spent a night at a Motel 6, where the bed was a little hard and it didn't have cable television. You know I will be yearning for that Motel 6, when you hear the professor say to bring soap in a ziplock bag, showering isn't a requirement, and constantly refers to "the places we will be staying," as opposed to "the hotel we will be staying in doesn't have a pool."
On the other hand, I am still very excited about this trip. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we will see whether or not I am able to survive it. Either way, it will make for a good story. And when it comes down to it, isn't that what it's all about?
Quo Vadimus
