Dealing with Maps

Today is one of tedious tasks, so I'm taking a breather and posting to the group blog. I'm less than two weeks away from my departure to Lapland. My pc died a couple of weeks ago and this morning I spent about an hour loading the scanner software into my laptop. Then it was another couple of hours scanning and printing sections of my maps. It was a bit boring, and somewhat intimidating, but the little chore has cut my load from 6 full fold-out maps to 10-12 pages of reg. sized paper printed front and back.

This may not seem like such a big deal, but I'm preparing to walk 275 miles with everything I need on my back, around my neck (waterproof map case and compass), or in my pockets (camera). This hearty walk has been in the planning for over a year. I'm down to the nitty-gritty details now. I'm embracing the required simplicity in my gear list.

It'll be my first walk of this magnitude and my husband worries how I'll handle the solitude. I worry about handling my return to normal civilization with its incredible amount of noise.

All my miles will be dedicated to the million kms for Tibet. I'm sure I will spend more than a few hours thinking about man's mistreatment of his brother. It's long been a personal philosophy of mine that we are on this earth with a responsibility to one another. Our burden and joy crosses language, cultural, and geographic barriers. It gives me comfort to know that my kms in Lapland won't just be a rather selfish indulgence.

My preparations are coming along. I've got piles of bags of beef jerky, dehydrated fruits, various nuts, and oatmeal sitting on a box in the living room. My tent, boots, backpack, and various small objects are huddled together in one end of the studio. They remind me daily to prepare, to check my lists, that the time is getting short.

It's short too for our Million Kms for Tibet. Next summer is not so far away. So, in my own awkward way, I encourage you to donate your training and event kms to this cause. It doesn't matter if you walk, run, swim, or bike. It's an opportunity to participate in something that could have great impact if we all do our little bit.

I don't know if I'll have a chance to post again before I leave. I'll definitely give you some kind of news when I return. After all, my kms will be "official" then - not just a hypothetical, waiting to happen.

My husband posed the hope that perhaps this will be my last wild adventure. I just looked at him, he knows better. Wherever you are, I hope you have happy and safe days between now and my return. My motto for today: "celebrate whatever comes your way, it's all part of life's great adventure!" Cheers! susan