I'm going on an Adventure!

Today's the day. The Beginning. The Adventure. The Epic. The Saga. Star Wars and The Iliad rolled into one. Something Tolkien wished he could write about and Spielberg could direct. Ok that last part is slight hyperbole (maybe), I am beyond excited about this trip.

May or may not be me

It hit me last night around 2am as I was watching Young Justice (it's awesome, don't judge), dosing, deliberately trying not to sleep and failing miserably as I tell my eyelids to open and they stubbornly give me the middle finger while slamming shut. While part of my brain was fighting the losing battle to keep me in the land of the conscious (population: me when it is 2am) the other part was idling along, thinking other things, being of no help at all in keeping me awake, I was suddenly hit with a jolt...

14 months! And it starts today. Less than 24 hours until I'm on the plane.

It has Batman, it's awesome.

I knew it was 14 months. Knew it for a long time now, hell we'd initially planned this in February of 2012. I started winding down from work at about day 150. That's how long I waited. That's how long I knew.
But I don't think I got the entire magnitude of it until last night in my half-dosing state, trying to pry my eyelids open with a mental crowbar. 14 months out of my comfort zone, but seeing the world. The good and the bad, hotels and camping, animals and humans. And most importantly, food.

I am excited by pretty much everything, though the way I act I look like I'm going to the dentist. But secretly I am mega-excited about it all but my top 2 "things I am looking forward to" consists of diving in different parts of the world and food. I cannot wait to taste the different foods offered, forgoing a hamburger for a spicy-meatball-soup-thingy so hot it boils my insides to liquid.

Or this

It's both terrifying and exciting, to head into the unknown, into non-english speaking countries, meandering my way through the Middle East and Africa, Asia and America's and Europe. To see the world and the people that live in it.

The old saying goes we only live once, but it's so true. I realised a few years ago that I don't want to be on my deathbed and looking back on my live and be a guy whose life resume consists of:

• Worked for 45 years.
• Went to school.

How utterly boring. There is lots to experience and wisdom to impart to the people of this world and future generations. I look forward to being a grumpy old fart who will tell his kids/grandkids/random strangers in the street that I have seen the world and experiences so much.

Apparently it's a requirement to tattoo this on your ass if you're American

The countdown is nearing it's end (8 hours as I write this) and for once I feel like I have everything packed and ready to go, both mentally and figuratively. I don't have that nagging feeling that I have forgotten something, or more importantly, I do not have the fear I have made a huge mistake.

Will never leave my vice-like grip.

I am ready to go.