Monday, April 25, 2011

Love, Running, and Other Drugs


April 25th, today, is Free Love Day: Draw a Heart on Your Wrist, Change the World. Basically, Free Love Day is a day to promote awareness of suicide and depression, as well as to advocate a lifestyle of unconditional love. My battles with my own mental illness and the mind minions of those I hold most dear have made me who I am today and that's enough about that.


I didn't want to run today. In fact, I came very close to not running today, BUT it was a beautiful day (minus the wind), I felt the need to make up for the running that my motivation partner (that's you Chris) wasn't doing because she was battling the plague, and I figured I might as well walk/run to the advanced voting poles since I forgot to stop on my drive home. With those reasons in tow, I walked/ran 4.2 miles in about 75 minutes. Yes, I know this is not a fast pace, but I'm just starting this whole running thing, so for me, an 18 minute mile is the best I can do right now.

Moving on to my trip...I have so many things to do! It seems like the closer I get to departure day, the more things that pop into my head and get added to my to-do list. Today I managed to get my car maintenance stuff taken care of. Summer tires back on, oil changed, and now all that's left to do is a wash before it sits untouched for 4-months. I finally bought a handmade journal from Bangladesh at Ten Thousand Villages which will become my travel journal as I embark on this adventure. Now, only about 100 other things to purchase and take care of in the less than two weeks I have before I leave, and I'll be set!


Thursday, April 21, 2011

Did I Mention I'm Training for a Half Marathon?!


Before I get into the subject of this post's title, let's discuss trip preparation and where I'm at with that. I am now counting days. Today it is 14 days until I board my plane and begin my trek to the South Eastern Hemisphere. Since my last post, I've checked quite a few things off of my To-Do List.

Done:
- 2nd of 3 Hepatitis Twinrix vaccination (and damn does that shot hurt).
- Travel Health appointment to discuss Malaria meds (which are a little expensive - $6 a tablet and I'll need at least 12, BUT worth it!).
- Voltage adapter is in my suitcase.
- Scotiabank account is open and VISA is on its way.
- Notified credit card company and talked to phone company (which was pretty much useless, but at least my extras are set to be cancelled the day I leave).

Still To-Do List:
- Actually get Malaria meds (the Travel Nurse was nice enough to let me see if my doctor would write the prescription for free).
- Cancel internet and notify landlord.
- Get a collection of "Canadian" photos together.
- Change insurance to "Lay Up" (can't do that until the day I leave).
and a few new additions:
- Get summer tires put back on car (appointment booked for Monday), get oil changed, vacuum inside, and wash outside.
- Shop for Botswana climate friendly and anti-mosquito clothing.
- Order Botswana currency.
and...
-PACK! - I will have you know, however, that I do have my two suitcases laying open on the floor of my spare bedroom with a few things in them that I remember to toss in from time to time.

I am EXCITED. I am nervous. My mind is a whirlwind of things I need to remember to do before I leave.

If you know me, though, you won't be surprised that on top of my trip to Gabs, Bots I am also planning a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA in December so that I can run The Strip at Night. Yep, a 1/2 Marathon on December 4th down the Vegas Strip at night! It is going to be epic. I've just started training so, of course, it's slow going, but I have some st
ellar playlists and a lot of ambition and I can do this! My guy is going to run the full marathon and that's great for him, but 13 miles is quite enough for this gal. I've learned that the key to these things is leg strength. I did 3.2 miles the other night and I could have kept going if my legs would have let me. Lunges, Heel Raises, Plies, Squats - o boy!