Departure Day!

It's noon on Sunday, and we are still putting the final touches on our luggage, as we depart for the airport in 2 hours. We are limited to one bag and one carry on at no more than 33 lbs and we are going to be gone for 4 weeks! What is a girl to do?! I purchased a new high end camera, and borrowed an expensive telephoto lens from a friend, which is all packed away in a super duper padded camera gear backpack that leaves no room for anything else of mine that I want to carry on. I was going to fudge and bring on a tote bag filled with my blanket for the plane (our first leg to Dubai today is 14 hours!), essential toiletries and snacks but my husband told me no, that we have to keep it to one carry-on each. FUN CRUSHER! My duffle is packed to the GILLS, solid 27 lbs of clothing and such for the next 4 weeks. I have improvised for the rest of my carry on wish list items, and have successfully stashed everything I think I need and more.

The climate is widely varied in that it is late fall in South Africa, so while Dubai will be 90+ upon arrival and our first week in Johannesburg and Botswana will be in the 80's, Zambia and Zimbabwe are much cooler with low 70s for the high, and sometimes into the high 40s overnight. Yikes. So we're talking shorts and tank tops for the first week followed by packable down jackets, and even hats and gloves on the early morning game drives for the next 3 weeks. I have never brought so few things on a 4 week vacation, it makes me anxious.

First stop - Dubai - by 8:00AM Seattle time we will be there - 7PM Dubai time, so we'll go straight to our hotel and collapse. Good bye for now!