How do you mix ice with fire? penguins with antique turtles? God with mysterious heads left on an island called Easter?

How do you pack for five weeks?

I’m dealing with it, even though the boots passengers were required to purchase for Antartica are longer than my duffle bag, as are my poles (ski, walking) and the all weather jacket for frozen sled trips takes up most of the rest of the space – do I take long underwear? I believe the answers for a successful safari are in the shoes. Take variety footwear.

What will I do without Pilates and Thai massages? and singing “This little light of mine” with the homeless folk at our church’s community breakfast each Sunday? How will I cheer on the Grizzlies from afar – and eat a gallon of popcorn with my grandchildren as we wonder why no one hits the 3 pointer? Will I worry about the girls in Reconation prison? I must give early release to my current probationers – that means writing behavioral reports and I must write final reports for a sad child abuse case (I’m a CASA volunteer) since that court date happens while I’m in distant worlds.

Will the airlines mess up my very tight schedule flying from Santiago to Atacama Desert, back to Santiago and on to Buenos Aires for two nights then down to Ushuaia to meet the group travelling on a National Geographic scientific ship (a Lindblad event) for 10 days to Antarctica – then back to Santiago and a five hour flight to Easter Island – for 3 days – back to Santiago, flight to Quito, night there, and then fly to Baltra to board another ship to cruise Galapagos for a few days- then back to Quito, two nights at the Relais et Chateux resort La Mirage to get buffed before returning home to Memphis in time for, Yike, Christmas holidays? (The worse is that neither Delta nor American have first class service to Chile or Ecuador. Horrors.

Will my feet make it? Will two and a half months of 12 hours a week training equal fitness? Will I write any decent poems that might finally get published?

Questions hound the mind prior to departure. I’ve decided to toss out the gadgets (gamin, Itouch ) which my grandchildren use like toothbrushes but which are labyrinths of horrors for me, having to deal with downloading, backupping and Internet, which I’ve never been successful at, and have no time to fiddle with now. I’ll rely on my tiny Sony Vaio laptop and blackberry (I call it blueberry) which is supposed to have international roaming – so keep up the communications. Hope you can enjoy virtual travel through the blogs.