196 Days

Now it gets serious. We’ve got 196 days (more or less) until our planned departure. While that may sound far away, I know it will come fast. April is going to be here in a flash – and June won’t be far behind.

Throughout the fall as we talked and planned and talked more, it felt like we had plenty of time to prepare. The trip was “next year.” Well, next year’s here – and the time for talk is over.

It’s overwhelming to think of the things we have to do before we can leave for a year. Vaccinations. Renting our house. Renewing our passports. Gathering and organizing roadschool materials. Putting a plan in place to manage our finances. Committing to an itinerary. And the point of no return: Buying airline tickets.

I think I can speak for my family when I say that we all find the idea of this trip very exciting – and the reality just a bit frightening. We’ll be stepping into the unknown and venturing a bit outside our comfort zones. More than a bit, actually.

John Higham, who journeyed with his family on a trip around the world, sent me a supportive email a few months ago. In it he said, “The hardest thing you will do is to get on that first plane.”I have no doubt that he is right.

This week I feel as though we are taking the first step down a long jetway leading to the first plane.