The stress has been high the last week as I wrapped up my jobs, finished packing my backpack, and packed for a week traveling in Arizona to visit mom and Colorado to visit friends and Lisa’s family before setting off to Atlanta to begin my adventure. I also had to move out of the guest bedroom (also my working-from-home office) which may be used by a house sitter while I’m away. All of this is on top of the emotions surrounding the idea that Lisa and I are heading out on different life adventures with an uncertain future. And I’m going to miss the squawky bird and floofy cat. Wah. It’s a lot to handle all at once.

But now that the packing is done and I’m sitting on the plane, I’m looking forward with anticipation to the crossroads that I’ve been planning for the last 6 weeks or so. Major life changes — job, extended hiking trip, and relationship status seems to qualify — are always a mixed blessing. On one hand there’s a whole future that is a blank slate yet to be written. On the other hand there’s a past that’s hard to let go of. We’re creatures of habituation and routine. Maintaining the status quo requires little energy, but perturbation takes effort.

I’m left feeling exhausted from the last few weeks of lists, checking off todo items, equipment I need to acquire, and things I need to remember to add to a future list of things to do. Sometimes it feels like it’s just lists all the way down. But fortunately there’s a time limit, and when the alarm clock goes off to wake up and go to the airport, I can finally mark off the last item on my list: “double check equipment list”. I’m not sure what happens next, but I am sure it’s going to be a grand adventure!