Packing

I always find it interesting that your last few days in any place where you have lived seem to be the busiest. You need more time at home and to yourself to be getting organized and getting packed and reconciling yourself to the fact that you're leaving. Yet at the same time all the people you love and care about want to spend as much time with you as possible before, in my case, you disappear into the woods. I think I've managed to work out a pretty good balance between these two things, but it still means that the last week here is going to be fairly crazy. A great crazy though.

The apartment here in Mankato is about half packed up. I'm making piles of stuff that are getting stored in MN for the summer and early fall, and then other piles of things that are going to be making the trek up to AK with me. Knowing that I could be in AK until as late as October and probably spending more time in town than I did last season means that I'm taking more stuff than I did last year, so I think the car is going to be pretty full. I'm trying to pack carefully and strategically.

It's definitely a tearing situation I find myself in these days. Mankato has become my home, and I love my community here and it breaks my heart to have to leave it. But at the same time I love being in Haines and what I do up there. I'm getting really excited for the first trip (24 day Sea Kayaking course in Glacier Bay that goes out on May 24th!) and just to be back in ALASKA!

I'm working on finalizing the itinerary for the trip north and should have it posted soon. As of right now I'm leaving Mankato on May 12th, which should land me in Haines on May 16th!