So Much for the In-Flight Meal

When booking our flight to Los Angeles, we didn't really mind our short layover in Philadelphia.  Emphasis on short.  By the time we traveled from our arriving gate to our departing gate we had all of five minutes before boarding commenced.  We were both hungry by this point, the endorphins of the days events were starting to fade and we'd come to the realization that we hadn't had anything substantial to eat since the early morning hours.  No problem, we thought, we booked this flight because it provides an in-flight meal.  We'll be in the air for 5 hours, but somewhere in that time we'd be able to enjoy our choice of chow.

Ha!

Admittedly it's been over a decade since I've traveled by air, much has changed over the years. First off, snacks are no longer complementary.  Hungry for some Chex Mix?  Prepare it at home before the flight, or expect to shell out $3.50, cash only.  That delicious-looking Asian chicken salad wrap, even with its hefty price tag of $8.00 looks good enough to eat, shame they stopped selling actual food a full thirty minutes before we boarded the flight. The "in-flight" meal we supposedly bought into simply doesn't exist.

That's not entirely true, it exists for first class.  Us folks in steerage had to pretend our ginger ale was champagne.  Least the drink was free!

Departure Day - The Angels Among Us

Part of the reason I'm so anxious to leave is our neighborhood is swiftly falling into decline.  One of my neighbors came home the other night, ranting about being mugged by a homeless woman.  Granted this guy was drunk and obviously not making the best decisions as he stood out in the hallway and shouted slurs about each and every one of his neighbors - self included.

It's  not all bad, we met the new guy across the hall last night. A veteran of the Iran Conflict in the mid-1980's, he spent time in the Air Force and now finds himself down on his luck with next to nothing.  Here I am surrounded by more than I need, it worked out to be a nice equation.  We sent him home with a mini washing machine to help him keep his laundry bill at a minimum, and he in turn gave our cat Rhasta a home.  She was settling in nicely when we saw her last.

Today we leave for California.  Just a few more errands then we'll try to keep ourselves busy while we wait for the plane to take off.  Hawai'i, here we come!

Modern Day Princess - Little Red Rustic Hood

My life has become a surreal picture of a life in transition.  I sold my wonderful, amazing, can't-say-enough-good-things-about-it bed yesterday for a generous sum reflective of said bed's awesomeness.  Then I bought an ultra-cheap air mattress as a replacement.  I've slept on air mattresses before, you'd think I'd know by now that my rump is bound to touch ground while the remainder of my prone form floats on a manufactured cloud.
Rolling out of bed has taken on a literal meaning, as I find it's easier to rise from solid ground than it is to find my footing while negotiating the uncertain terrain of a bouncy bladder of air.  Needless to say, the air queen sized bed we purchased for under $20.00 provided a night's sleep that was worth at least $35.00.  Inflating the bed with our universal inflation pump was easy once we figured out which of the nozzles was best for our particular model of bed.  

Countdown to Kona - There Go My Clothes

Over the past week I've amassed quite a large pile of possessions, all designated for donation.  Now that the Salvation Army has hauled it all off, this tiny apartment feels much larger.  Our bags are packed, though I'm sure we'll unpack and repack them another three times to make sure we haven't missed anything.  Fitting in last-chance visits in with the hectic schedule of picking up prescriptions, mailing packages, and freelance deadlines has made our already whirlwind pace seem like a thrilling roller-coaster.  After dinner with the family tonight that's one last thing to check off of the "to-do" list. 

Countdown to Kona - We've Got Tickets

Today we sold our bed, it was an almost tearful separation.  Bed's like this only come around once in a lifetime, but a chance to live in Hawai'i is even more rare, so it was one or the other.  We've got our tickets, our bags are nearly packed, we're ready to go!  Still no homes for the cats, but I'm not giving up hope, I just know someone will pull through at the last minute.  Now all we have to do is wait for friends to take the last of what they'd like before the donation crew comes through for a massive pick-up Saturday.   Six days of sleeping on an air mattress, and I couldn't be happier.   Farewell, awesome bed.  Aloha, Hawai'i!

Did you know that on this day in 1959 Hawai'i became our 50th State?  

A Sign from the Travel Gods

The past three days I've been scrambling to find a backpack.  From offering trades over craigslist, to offering trades to friends, I was offering any combination of possessions for just one backpack.  Then I remembered a whole heap of bags were waiting for me in the basement.  Not only did I find my old backpack, in surprisingly great condition, as well as my old patchwork satchel, I also found my traveling gnome!  If that's not a sign to pack up and move on, I don't know what is. The cat sharing the picture with the gnome is Rhasta, and she still needs a home.  

One Week!

Moving right along!  The already hectic pace of packing and preparing has kicked up another notch.  I've managed to clear out the closet, only to transfer all these garments into a massive pile designated for the Salvation Army.  Transferring books from shelves to boxes has been a lesson in why I should dust more often, I can't remember the last time I sneezed so much.
Still no homes for the kitties yet, but I still have confidence someone will prevail at the last minute.  Just as I'm confident that this time next week the apartment will be practically bare, ready for us to move on to our next big adventure.  How I'm going to make it through this last week of work is anyone's guess! 

Let the Packing Begin!

Two bags packed, two more to go!  Apparently Tony thinks we're leaving tomorrow instead of in two weeks.  I can't help but share his enthusiasm, we're both so excited to get started.  Still haven't found anyone to take the cats, but I'm confident help will come through at the last minute.  Friends stop by each day to remove handfuls of my belongings for safe keeping while I continue to make peace with the fact that I simply cannot take it all with me.

We swap emails with Bebo regularly, he's equally excited to see us as we are looking forward to seeing him. Harvesting that world famous Kona coffee begins early in September and Bebo needs all the help he can get. Sometime today we'll receive pictures of our lodgings, and even though I haven't seen the place I've already started decorating it in my head.

Countdown to Kona

Time is rushing by so quickly it almost seems unreal.  So much to do before we depart! I still need to find homes for our three cats, clear out hundreds of books, and what seems like even more clothes.  How do I have so many clothes and nothing to wear?

14 days and we leave Columbus, spending time with family for a week before making the big leap to the big island.  Captain Cook, here we come! 

Hawaii Bound!

The arrangements have been made, our bags are nowhere close to packed, but we're excited to go just the same.  This time next month we'll be in Hawaii, working at Bebo's Kona farm.  The next few weeks are going to be a rollercoaster, and I couldn't be more thrilled!  Things on our list of things to buy/pack:

Rolling Luggage
Backpacks
T-shirts
Shorts
Long pants
So on and so forth.

Check back often, I'll have regular updates of our awesome adventures in Hawaii!