Paddling for three months has become a more tangible reality as we have gone through the gear and cleaned the house. All week we have been checking off a list of tasks to be ready to depart. Working on the boats, measuring out meals, choosing which clothing to pack and which to leave. Bit by bit it is hitting us… our lives our about to change. It is exciting and a bit unnerving, but mostly exciting.

It hit me most when we laid out all the gear for a dry run packing the boats. Running down the checklist of gear and getting it all in the boats was a victory, but also made it clear that this was our future world: the contents of those boats is all we’ll have with us. Did we forget something? As we lifted the boats to see how heavy they were I had to wonder if we packed too much! Lifting the boats was a sobering bit of reality: we felt the weight and started to understand in a more tangible way the trip we are embarking on.

But what it will be exactly is still unknown. We have both been on multi-week trips before, but not a multi-month expedition. We know there are going to be challenges: plenty of rain, headwinds, blisters, and sore bodies to stretch. Also, the joys of mountain vistas, glaciers shining in the sun, and encounters with whales, sea lions, and otters. Our plan is to take it slowly for the first bit, ease into the routine and get a sense for what our new reality is. The ferry to Alaska departs on Wednesday. We’ll be on it, excited to find out what comes next.