Last Entry from McCall!!!

        Oh Boy!! Well the time for departure is drawing near...too near! The car is packed  and Charlie is ready.                                                  

                                                          I've taken care of all my business and done all my preparation shopping.  I've said my good byes multiple times and taken two car loads to the thrift so I guess that means I'm ready right....I hope so....

         Australian Aborigional tribes have a tradition called a "walkabout".  The idea behind it is that a boy leaves the tribe for a time and returns a man.  He follows the footsteps of his ancestors and “finds himself” on his own in the outback.  The other day this term, walkabout, was tugged out of the dungeons of my memory (probably from my middle school world history class) by my stepfather John. He had casually refered to my road trip as “my walkabout”.  I thought it was silly because I am not a young man nor do I intend to retrace the footsteps of anyone I know, but the more I thought about it, the more the term really grew on me.  I realized even though I intend to enjoy myself and have a lovely time, there will be difficulties along the way.  I may get lost or in a bind or breakdown or a million other things, but I suppose that is why they call it an adventure!  

        By nowI seem to have gone through all the stages: excited, anxious, fearful, nervous etc… Here I sit the night before totally terrified, thinking to myself, “Why am I doing this? I must be loosing my mind. This is one of the worst ideas I’ve ever had! I’ll probably be home penniless and homesick in a week!”  This is the part of me that fears change coming out.  It’s nagging but part of the process all the same i suppose, while at the same time my careless side is saying, “Oh please!!! This is so not that big of deal! People drive everyday. Don’t be such a worrier; this is gunna be great!”  And so goes the argument…..ummmm…..self, could you please make up your mind? Like soon?!

            My wonderful friends threw me a going away party last Sunday and I was a real hoot. They brought a huge platter of sushi (which we devoured) to a pick-nick area near town and  Katie made me a cake! The evening was full of much eating and laughter, after which Charlie was exhausted! I will miss my lake and summer fun but am trying to remind myself that winter is not as much fun haha so I won’t miss it as much. 

And so my “walkabout” finally begins.....