running for the gate

Of course sitting at the airport with just a short week ahead of me in Newfoundland, I have only carry on … my trusty Missy Morado (yes she has a name) 35L osprey and my soft ‘purse’ Osprey will get me through this most amazing of adventures!

So what is packing lighter than you expected title about then? Well this morning playing with our new, crazy pup Bella Bean Pup Pup … I literally tore my pinkie toe nail off right to the raw, flesh core. I have photos of course but know that only my twisted sister Hailey, bestie Lana and hubby Lance would want to see them so I will spare the rest of you the gore.

Needless to say this is not the best timing … I am heading to hike in 90% humidity Newfoundland where it is slotted to rain EVERY day we are there and I have my raw toe in a boot all day. Can you say fungus and bacterial infection kids?

What is there to do? Well suck it up. Really! Got me some first aid supplies (it pays to have an expert foot wound care nurse on your friends list for advice!), a decent pain threshold and a sense of adventure greater than a gaping wound. Yah!

Found my way to the airport, ordered a pint and focused on the fun of a flight x3 ahead and a new Young Adult Fiction book to read all washed down with a pint … and fizzy water of course – I do need to be hydrated to fight the infection! Oh for those of you all caught up on the YA Fiction reference – no judging. I am just done a 20-30hr a week Academic writing class and this brain needs some Fairy world teen romance and mythology to cleanse it of citations, argumentative clauses and naysayer statements.

A small part of me thinks that walking for a week in foot pain is my way of bringing Lana along for the trip! For those of you who have read about our Kilimanjaro and Camino adventures here on the blog you will remember Lana comes with a fantastic sense of humor and horrendously misbehaving feet! Poor thing. Every step in pain Bean (Lana) is like we are on the Camino again together!

Ok off to board my first of 3 overnight flights – super bonus … I get on the next 3 with my sister Shar once I land in Calgary. Not so super bonus … this flight is delayed and now lands 2mins before the next one boards. I may need one of those little golf cart things! Hold the door Shar! ( who didn’t just think of GOT Hodor? )

I will check in again once we hit Newfoundland!

Brande

1 More Sleep!

We are down to one sleep and I suspect with the level of excitement in this house there will not be much sleep at all!

We picked up Lana from the airport today (she flew in from Edmonton) for our adventure to start tomorrow! 5 of us fly out of Vancouver (me, my hubby, Lana, Matt and Scott) to meet our other 2 hikers (my sister Hailey and her hubby Paul who are coming from Edmonton) in Amsterdam for 24hrs then onto Africa …

I have to admit today when at the airport picking up Lana it hit me. Hit me big time. I was walking through the Departures section and all of a sudden it was like a smack across my whole body, ice cold feeling from head toe and then a heat wave – I am going to Africa!

Lana coming was in my mind the start of this adventure and holy heck she is here and this is happening! I am climbing Mount Kilimanjaro! I am going to see hyenas! I feel so blessed, so honoured and really so humbled by this opportunity and by all the excitement our friends and family have for us. Wow!

So with this amazing feeling, we are doing our final prep! Here in Vancouver – Lana is going through her stuff to make sure she didn’t leave anything at home, Matty is actually packing (boys!), I am well writing this blog post and charging phones and charger packs, and Lance is loading up his iPod with tunes to get him through the tough bits on the mountain. I bet our other Vancouver climber Scott is also packing; and in Edmonton Hailey I would guess is packing and Paul is chilling (boys again!).

All in all, I think we are all just chomping at the bit to get this party started!

Brande

PS: one little baby, itty bitty, wee sleep until our adventure