Blog Like an Egyptian

As the trip draws closer (less than one week to go!), people keep asking if I’m excited.  It’s a pretty simple question, right?  Not quite.

Of course I’m excited.  I attended a two-hour informational session about the trip tonight, where I learned about what to pack, what to expect, what we’re doing and the like.  I turned to another group member and said, “This all of a sudden feels real.”  It was the first moment when the trip felt like it might actually happen.  Up until this point, the trip has seemed as realistic as a trip to Mars.  (This is coming from the guy who’s never been further east than Las Vegas.)

But I can’t get THAT excited.  I’m too busy.  There are too many things swirling around for me to really focus on the trip.

My dad is going through some medical issues.  The situation at work is slightly tenuous.  I’m still recovering from a cold.  My car has been in the shop since Monday (and has been giving me fits since Thursday).  Add it all up, and you have one stressed traveler.

The plan was to do shopping for the trip last weekend.  Then, I came down with a cold.  So that didn’t happen.  Then, the car has been in the shop all week, limiting my mobility.  I keep pushing my to-do list back, with the hopes that my car will be back soon.  But I’m running out of time, so I have to figure something out this weekend.

Then there’s the last full day at work, which will come on Friday.  That’s going to be busy.  There’s always something special about the last work day before a vacation.

In 2006, I remember how excited I was for my San Francisco trip.  I’d envisioned my final Friday as a pretty busy but relaxing day.  I was so excited that I even have the perfect CD picked out to listen to on the way home.  Of course, that day became insanely busy, so by the week ended, I limped out to my car, took a deep breath, yawned and immediately thought about the task at hand – packing and shopping for the last-minute stuff.

Maybe that’s the nature of travel.  Maybe I won’t get excited about the trip until I’m on the airplane, on the way to Amsterdam.

In the mean time, I’m happy for the pockets of excitement that come at the most random times.  Sometimes, I’ll catch myself flipping through my guidebook and thinking about seeing the pyramids up close.  Other times, I think about the amazing temples before bed.  And while I’m in traffic, my thoughts drift to the fact that I’ll be sleeping on a boat on the Nile River in a few short weeks.  So while it’s not this non-stop thought process, I find a few minutes here and there to get excited.

And if I can get throug this 20-item to-do list, I just might let myself get excited more often.  One step at a time, though.