Planning a long trip is really fun. It provides a comforting sense of purpose and commitment. I study maps, design routes, and steep myself in the culture of the land. Potential disasters are foreseen, acts of God set aside, and contingency plans developed, which lead to the best part of the preparation process -- buying more equipment ! Canada, in its benevolent wisdom, provides travelers on this road with free satellite phones -- picked up at one end, and dropped off at the other, on the honor system. A key feature is convincing Beth that the project is indeed worthwhile. She has always been very supportive, no matter the destination. I think she understands how important these forays are to me. An issue with this trip has been: "where is it you say you are going ... read more