Packing Proceeds Apace

Two dozen packages of Martha White cornbread mix, a box of six Speedstick deodorants, make up, and a pound of shelled pecans... these are but a few of the special request items I've been asked to bring to Aron and Hapny. Indonesia is very strict about what items can be shipped in, but are ok with people bringing those items in luggage.

Along with gifts I will be bearing for Sofie's 5th birthday (April 15) and for the new baby, I have no choice but to take two large checked bags.

My spare bedroom is pack central fast filling with stuff I'll be taking. I'm careful to keep the door closed and deny curious cats any chance to do mischief. I also want to avoid what happened last summer when Spook saw me bring in Maryllew's big green suitcase I borrowed a couple of days before the trip to Europe. He is not a fan of my globe trotting

No escape this time!

and I think that's what prompted him to run away. It was 3 weeks later after my return that I found him enjoying a grand safari in a nearby neighborhood. I guess he showed me!

Delta is ready; Will I be?

I now know the what and when of the trip itinerary--at least the getting over there and coming back.  Delta Airlines will be assigned my precious cargo (me!) and I don't have to fly through Atlanta!  Amazing, but true!

The most difficult decision was determining if it is better to leave BNA late afternoon for a direct flight to LAX and then stay overnight in an airport hotel, or take the early morning flight (also direct to LAX) and have a 4+ hour layover before boarding the overseas flight.  Having weighed the pros and cons, I am opting for the early morning flight out on Tuesday, April 8.  Now, I just have to talk sweetly to one of my besties to sacrifice her sleep and get me to our airport in time to make the 6:30 departure. Who will it be? Hmmm....

As a cost saving measure, LAX to Singapore will have to be a dog leg with a change of plane at Tokyo's Narita (NRT) Airport.  That leg is 11 hours, 32 minutes. There's an hour and a half layover and then the 7 hour, 50 minute flight to SIN city! That's right, Singpore's airport designation is SIN. Aron promises to meet me at the terminal.  It will be Thursday at 1:10 am local time, which means noon Wednesday in Nashville.In other words, a 30+ hour journey! Can you say: Exhausted?
I'll skip the middle portion of our travel itinerary for now since those plans are not set.  The journey home from Singapore will include a special treat--a few days' stopover for fun and sun in Hawaii!  That flight will happen around the 27th of June.  I think we return to LAX on July 1, but I haven't seen the schedule for the LAX to BNA final leg.  I'll be sure to let you know.

Aloha happening late June!

A Flurry of Preparations

Two weeks, that's been the typical length of my overseas trips up to now.  This time my travel will span three months, which is longer by far than any previous trip. I am fortunate that at this time of my life, I have no ties to keep me from this journey... No spouse or family at home and no job. That's an enviable state of being, I know. Even so, there is a lot to think about and plan for before I leave.

Spook

 Cats, plants, household maintenance and expenses, as well as the protection from theft or damage of my property--these are the main concerns. I am blessed to have good friends who are on duty with these responsibilities. My mind is at ease.  

Angel

     Something else is different about this travel adventure. Unlike the trips to Sumatra, Bali, and the Mediterranean, detailed in my three previous blogs*, this time I travel alone and without my dear and worldly wise friend Carol. She is the best companion anyone could hope for. Now I will have to [gasp!] handle foreign money and do math and stuff! Thank goodness there are apps for that! But there are no apps for all the intrinsic and nuanced problem-solving skills Carol brings to bear in some challenging situations. She also has ready answers for my queries about flowering plants and spices in exotic food.  It will be different without her, but I am confident everything will be fine. I'm not a worrier. I'll blog about it either way. I am hopeful she will be able to meet us in Singapore for a week or two in June. Perhaps she will be there for the birth! 

*View my profile for links to previous travel blogs.

Countdown to departure April 7

Greetings!  One month and counting until my departure to the Far East! At this moment, trip itinerary is fluid.  The rough outline is this: Fly to Singapore (at the tip of Malaysia); meet up with son Aron, daughter-in-law Hapny, and granddaughter Sofie (soon to be 5). Spend a few days making arrangements for an extended stay (the reason for which is revealed below). Then, we'll travel together to their home high up in the remote mountains of Papua, Indonesia, which is the western half of the island of Papua New Guinea.  At this moment we're still waiting to hear if my Indonesian daughter-in-law will be approved for a short-term visa to visit Cairns, Australia, for a week. It's complicated.  We  hope to spend a week exploring the area near the Great Barrier Reef.  Eventually, we'll return to Singapore where Hapny, Sofie and I will be ensconced in a comfy condo while we enjoy this modern, multi-cultural city and (drumroll please) await the birth of my second grandchild in May/June!  Aron will have to return to his work in Papua for much of the time, so 'us girls' will be on our own until the birth.  That's the plan in a nutshell!