The Count Down

By Claire
I'm struggling to some degree with the lack of structure in my days now that I don't have to be anywhere other than hiking or out to breakfast or lunch with friends. We have a long list of things to do to complete our readiness for this trip but sometimes it's hard to get motivated even though the end result is leaving for Europe! The scary part is that time is marching on. However, so many things have been done: We've rented our house to a wonderful couple, we've picked out our camper and paid the deposit, and the plane tickets have been purchased. On the other hand, we have a return date of November 26 to make it look like we're staying less than 90 days (see Schengen Agreement and our post Planning a One Year European Adventure). I will need to contact our travel agent in early November by email and she will obtain new tickets with a return date at the end of August 2010. I'm a little worried about re-entering the EU after our first 90 days out with a return date 6 months later but some things I just have to let go. We still have to deal with bureaucratic registration issues on our cars with the DMV. We're storing both of them with very generous friends (thank you Merlyn and Tom!). Chuck's car will need to be smogged next May when we're not here, for example. Several phone calls and much website navigating tells us that we can do it when we get back but we can't drive it anywhere until it's done. Huh? That means walking or biking to the DMV after illegally driving it home from our friends and then illegally driving it to the Smog place. I hope the Smog cops aren't out in force that day. My car can't be legally driven until it is re-registered and I can't send in the "Planned Non-Operational" registration until after we're gone (of course). Figuring out money and future taxes while we're on the road (we'll be in Greece when we need to do our taxes) and ATMs and credit cards all takes a toll. But, believe me, it's all worth it. It just has to be done.

Yesterday we bought electrical adaptors and hope that we'll be able to charge all the electrical devices we're dragging with us:


Laptop
GPS
2 Kindles
iPod and portable speakers
Batteries for two cameras

At some point we have to start boxing and moving our personal items up into the attic that Chuck floored in last Christmas.

The goal is to leave here smiling and rested. My fear is that we'll leave here stunned and snarling.

But hey, life is really good and I have no complaints.