-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I turn 40 this June.
Pretty much 16 1/2 weeks from now. No, I'm not counting down the last days of my youth, trying to figure out how to make it stop. I know the length from now until then because I want the time to speed up. See, i'm planning my midlife crisis. I don't mind at all growing old, but I figure it's a big day and I want to spend it doing something big. Maybe even exotic. So come June 26th, don't try to call to tell me I'm old. I won't answer. If all goes well, I intend to be somewhere in Thailand.
Tony has taken this with his usual aplomb. Actually, more than usual, since the trip was originally slated as much more Tahiti-ish until he suggested Phuket. And once we started looking at the whole country, everything clicked into place. Thailand has become the perfect sequel to my 30th birthday, when Tony surprised me by taking me to Hawaii. (Ok, he didn't actually surprise me, the seven hours over the Pacific and the destination printed on the plane tickets kind of gave it away. But he planned it all, and it was spectacular.)
I've been keeping rather low key about this since December because there were a lot of variables left to sort, and I think there was some superstitious little thought process positive that talking about the trip might jinx it. But heck, we've had the economy crumble, the car die underneath us, the new car hit and we're still going. And this morning we got our first round of vaccines. Darn it, if I got a needle stuck in my arm for in preparation for this trip then we're getting on that plane. As soon as I finalize which plane that is, anyway. We're awaiting one more thing before I can book it. So today I decided it was time to start blogging. I wanted to write up the planning stages so I could remember how everything came together later and also (more likely) because I've got three and a half months to kill before I actually get to step out the door.
So what have I been doing to make this trip happen? I've been buffing up on my knowledge of Southeast Asia a lot in the past few months and realizing how very little attention I've ever paid to that part of the world. I've learned just how amazingly horrid North American air carriers are compared to others in terms of customer service and comfort. (FTR, it goes Middle Eastern, Asian, European then North American airlines in terms of what kind of seat you want to spend several hours of your life buckled into. I mean, look at the difference in what they consider top comfort: American Airlines vs. Singapore Airlines. Not that we're flying first class, but the differences are as marked all the way down the line.) I've learned a lot about Thai politics just because I don't fancy being stuck in the middle of a second closing of BKK airport due to protests. And today, I learned that the Hep A vaccine shot stings like a mofo. It doesn't hurt, per se, but about five minutes after you get it you suddenly feel like there's another needle in your arm. The sting recedes after a while but, man, at the time it hits all outward conversation ceases while you think; "WHA?!! How did I get this cheesed-off wasp up my sleeve?" Happened again twice this evening. I'm off lightly though, because Tony got his Td as well. I happened to get that one on a whim a couple of years ago on the basis that I work around too much metal and am too much of a klutz not to. I remember it was like being punched in the arm- sore for days. I guess it makes sense what with the teensy dose of tetanus in there probably causing a small, localized version of what the actual disease is like. But I remember after getting my Td vaccine I decided I was never letting it lapse again because if that was the lock-jaw lite, I never wanted to experience a real dose of it. Anyway, we're all poked and prodded and almost ready for travel to parts unknown. Reservations are waiting on Carolyn and Peter who have a small chance of joining us, and really all there is to do now is count the days or the weeks until we leave.
I'm 16 1/2 weeks away from being forty. And, frankly, I can't wait.
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