39 Days

Thirty-nine days until The Sister and I depart for our trip to Nepal and Bangkok. To say I am excited would be an understatement. I am consumed with thoughts of what to do, what to organise and what to prepare in the coming (less than!) 6 weeks. Thus far, I have managed to accumulate most of the gear I will need to take and use throughout my trip, in particular for the trekking portion of the holiday. I think what has excited me more than anything is the fact that I have been purchasing items with the expectation that this will NOT be the last trip I do to Nepal. I have been reading blogs (again) which have covered peoples experiences of doing the Everest Base Camp trek and I am more determined than ever to do this trek in the next year or so myself. I cannot explain why I have to do this trek, I just know that I must. It has been something I've dreamed of for the past 12 years and the time has well and truly come for me to just do it.

That said, doing the 5 day Poon Hill trek, may well prove to be a completely hideous experience and I may discover that I detest walking for hours each day, having to use squat toilets and being deprived of a daily shower.

Somehow though, I don't think that will be the case. Time will tell, yes?

Preparations

Tour paid.

Flights booked.

Accommodation in Bangkok, pre and post Nepal, booked.

Travel insurance booked.

Hiking socks, pants, top and jacket purchased.

Microfibre towel purchased.

Ran/walked, three times this week.

Butterflies of anticipation, nervousness and excitement, commenced.

A million things still to do.

Could it be?

....... that I WILL fulfill a dream I have held for the last 12 years? It has come up, in the most unexpected of ways, out of the blue. Last week, The Husband forwarded me an email about a trek in Nepal. Thus followed 5 days of frenzied research- could I? Couldn't I? Should I? Shouldn't I? I thought and researched and researched and thought. And late last night, I decided that, no, it was too much to do on my own, the prospect was a tad too intimidating. Not to mention too far away. And isolated. And scary. And.....insert lame excuse here....

The fact remained though, I felt, that in this 40th year of my life an adventure was needed and I thought I had one sorted out.

Until The Sister informed me today of a deal she had seen, to the same location The Husband had forwarded me 5 days ago.


I looked. I liked. A lot. The old, familiar yearning in me rose again and I half jokingly, in a very round about fashion, suggested to The Sister that we go.

Dear reader, she said would go.

Oh. My. Goodness.

I am going to Nepal.