fun hiking, trip approaching

Connor and I hiked up Mount Wachusett with Alison & John today. It was really fun and I got a good chance to try out my hiking shoes for the first time on hiking terrain. They worked great, so they're ready for the trip!

Now I'm trying to figure out how to get everything I'll need into the backpack I'm bringing. I'm also trying to figure out if it will be possible to get to all the places I want to see in the amount of time I'll have. The answer is definitely not. So I'm going to have to start weeding out and picking a few places so I can actually enjoy my time in each place and not feel rushed. When you calculate in travel time, I really only have 21 days there, and New Zealand clearly takes more than 21 days. But hey - it's better than nothing!

I'm also trying to get myself prepared for the idea of not being HOME for this long. I haven't been away from Connor, work, or the kittens in a LONG time. Hopefully skype will help me avoid homesickness. There are several cute kittens, several cute geckos, and one cute boy I will really miss!