middle earth adventure chapter two

---

okay. i wanted to take this trip, see south america, push the boundaries. tonight i have decided it's just fine to stretch out on the couch here in midtown manhattan, watch the bbc planet earth blu-ray on the galapagos islands and pet my cat. i don't actually have to go there to enjoy all the amazing things they have to offer.

okay. it's not going to happen. i will go to ecuador for 33 days. ecuador is waiting and it will only be harder to dig up the courage and the energy to do this when i'm 65 not 64. mostly this panic is related to an inability to organize my packing. something i've never been particularly good at even when i was young. getting older, i've only gotten worse.

but i'll survive even my own disorganization. i am going to leave for miami tomorrow morning, and hopefully change planes and wind up in quito in the evening. at least i did have a short conversation with ricardo's father who says he'll let ricardo know that i am coming to quito so someone---what is his father's name? i didn't ask---knows i will be in quito.

my stomach feels shitty. i am definitely not going. i need to finish packing.

---