Excitement, tears and packing nightmares

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What a week. The past 7 days have been both amazing and emotional. I'm down to the final preparations, which have been a lot more complicated than they should have been.

For starters, it has only recently occured to me that I am taking a rucksack, not a suitcase, and that my luggage padlocks have nowhere to attach. I have therefore spent much time agonising over other options. The very helpful man working in Mountain Warehouse recommended a "drybag". This is essentially a posh and thicker bin bag to put your rucksack into. This can then be secured with the normal padlocks. Downside: all is takes is a thief with a pair of scissors and the contents of my bag is all theirs. Option 2 - discovered in Blacks - a wire "mesh" that covers the rucksack, securing both the bag and able to attach to fixed objects in hostels so thieves can't take it away. Downside: it costs £65!!! That's more than the rucksack! Apparently some airlines can also get a bit fussy with the mesh thing as they worry about it damaging their conveyor-belt systems. I've wasted far too long agonising over this decision - I'm goings with the mesh thing. I've reserved one to collect on my way to the airport tomorrow. Nothing like a bit of last minute panic buying.

All the last minute panics however have been nothing compared to the emotional goodbyes I have had to struggle through this week.

This is neither the time or the place to get into the soppiness, nor go on and on about how much I will miss certain people. Suffice to say that the thought of not seeing certain people for quite a while is almost enough for me to cancel the trip. But this is the life-long dream, which is now within touching distance, and I'm still so excited to start the adventure of my life. Thanks here have to go to my amazing boyfriend Paul James for the best final week I could have had. I will miss you more than you know, and will hope you join me on my travels in a few months.

Emotional stuff done.

Just 2 days till my flight, the next blog will be from Sydney :-) I'm writing this from my brand new iPad mini - which is just awesome - and will make keeping in touch with everyone back home much easier. Now all that's left to do is pack the factor 50 (it's currently 40 degrees!), and prepare my back for lugging 14kg across the world.

Wish me luck....

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