On the eve of the leave...

After lots of planning and packing, I'm ready to embark on an adventure! I'll be taking off from SeaTac tomorrow morning at 11:00am, and after a full day of travel, I'll land in Madrid on Friday at 10:00am (which will be around 1:00am PST). Fact: this Pacific Northwesterner is going to melt in the Moroccan heat next week...

I'm usually not big on "omens" and the like, but when I stumbled upon this while I was running near the capitol last weekend I was a bit taken aback.

I took it to mean I'm doing the right thing and this trip is what I really need right now. Although I must say, I never found out the actual reason why Spain's flag was flying alongside the US and Washington State flags...

Since I will be my own personal pack mule for the entire duration of my time in Europe, the goal was to keep my pack at 25lbs or below. Let's just say that's been a challenge --right now it's hovering around 29-30lbs.

The things that are really holding me back from "making weight" are essentials that I just can't leave behind: contact solution, voltage adapter, Spanish phrasebooks, my guidebook for the Camino... For once in my life the issue isn't too many shoes :)

I can't even begin to predict what traveling solo is going to be like, but I do know that this trip is going to open my eyes to new things and force me to grow. I'm sure it will be exhilarating at times and painful at others, but I'm looking forward to the journey :)

Wishing you all a wonderful summer filled with adventure!

Mil abrazos,

Kels