9 more sleeps to go!

I'm all set really ..... 3 more days of work plus 5 days for the final clean of the house & garden. Have engaged a lovely chap to mow the lawns once a month while we're away and have had a good chat with Jeni (Caroline's sister) about what the hens like, where the firewood is stored & what yummy things remain in the freezer for her to partake of during her stay in our home. Hopefully the rebuild of her house will make better progress these next 7 months than it has done for the year she's already been out!

As I prepare to leave I've been passing on paperwork etc to people who are to take over my varied roles and activities while I'm gone. I have quite mixed feelings as it's not like when one leaves a job for another or moves to a new town - "right, move on to a new page" - as I will return to a number of these roles & activities at some stage but they will have gained a new life, perhaps a new direction & I will need to reflect on that & learn anew.

That said, I have enjoyed attending last meetings of the various organisations that I belong to, knowing that I don't have to concern myself with 'next steps' or facilitate a discussion on some topic for at least 7-8 months. The past 6 years since our quake series has been full-on in so many ways, and it's not over yet ........ it will be exciting to see what changes to the city have occurred in our absence.

We will miss friends and family but communication is so much easier than when I first travelled overseas in 1986. I well remember writing on blue airmail paper & booking phone calls out of Post Restante in many towns as I travelled across China and the Soviet Union; Mum & Dad never quite knew where I'd be at any one time. Skype, Viber, Facebook &What's App means one can be in contact all the time but I'm determined to have quiet techno-free days to just enjoy the scenery we see and the people we meet along the way.