Relative Something

I understand that it doesn’t have to be this hard. I am so close. I just can’t seem to take it to the place that I would call,  …finished. I think I am close to being within weight limitations, even though I am not confident I am accurately interpreting the specifics of when the restrictions will be enacted, and to which piece. At one place in our information packet, it points out that the Sherpa will carry two duffel bags plus their own load and we are asked to stay around 30 pounds. Another source describes the plane ride to Lukla having a strict limit of 30 pounds, as well. But here it sounds like 30 pounds total, not just the duffel. My trip comrade, Gary, pointed out that we’ll feel better, when it comes to trying to get that smaller plane off the ground on our way to Lukla, if we haven’t cheated the weight limitations. Point well taken.

The plan during the trekking is for each of us to wear a day-pack that contains anything we think we will want to have during that day… rain gear, sun screen, camera, snack, mole skin, water bottles. I am beginning to picture it as my kitchen junk drawer. If I need anything, I look in the junk drawer. The duffel will be riding ahead of us on the back of a Sherpa or Yak (not sure which, yet), unavailable to us, on the way to that evening’s camp location. It will contain the extra clothes, some cold weather gear for possible use on days at the highest elevations, comfy camp shoes, more reading material (than what is in my ‘junk drawer’), gifts for the schools higher up the trail… that sort of thing.

That seems like a simple delineation of purposes. However, there are a couple of variations that are muddying up my ability to close down the packing phase. Prior to reaching that fine routine of the two separate bags for two different purposes, I have to get all this gear through airports in multiple countries. One of the bags, my duffel, will be checked and thus allowed to contain some of the items forbidden within the passenger compartment. The other one, my day-pack, will be carry-on. The two bags probably won’t take the exact same route to Kathmandu, so I want to be prepared for the possibility of delay in reuniting with my duffel.

I intend to pack a little differently for the first phase of the trip than I will for the actual trekking. These things are such a quandary for a person of concrete, sequential mindset. It’s causing a slight delay in accomplishing the completion of this part of preparation. I WILL take care of this detail before the required hour and I expect to get on with visualizing a series of pleasing, on-time plane rides to kick off the big expedition.

If you are able to supress your snickering over the likelihood of these visualizations, it may improve my odds of success.