So there is less than 24 hours until I land in Osaka… wow, it’s come along faster than I thought, and of course as usual, in typical ‘Paul Style’ I have left everything until the last minute. I had to start work at 5, so I knew I had to get everything done before I went to work. Woke up at 10am, when my alarm was set for 8am… great start!! This failed early start set the tempo for the rest of the day… OmG HEKKTIK!!

Stage 1:

        I had to go out and make some final purchases, including the all important 2^nd Travel Pack for Jace, which if failed to bring would have left him trekking around Japan with half-a-dozen plastic bags. So I picked up the pack and a “lonely Planet” ‘Travel Japan’ book. Hopefully this will help us if we get into any sticky situations. I bought a few other odds and ends, and began the mental preparation for the beginning of stage 2.

Stage 2:

        Pack – (yes that’s right, I hadn’t started packing). Ok so I thought the travel pack that I had bought was a decent sized pack… until I tried to put my assortment of odds and ends into it, I then found out that I was taking too much, and was forced to remove a few of the non-essential luxuries.

Oh well, who needs a hair dryer and straightening combo anyway? So after emptying and re-packing my pack several times, I think I have now packed the essentials that I will need for my travels (I really, really hope I have). I even helped Guido to pack his pack (he has weirder grooming instruments than I do).

Ok so after 3 hours of sweat and blood (yes thanks Jason’s Pack’s zipper)… SUCCESS!!

Stage 3:

        Run around like crazy trying to double check everything, ensuring I have all the vital gear.

I am really excited now, and have forgotten half of the things that I was going to say. It all sort of snuck up on me, I went camping with a few mates over the weekend, and the campers out there will know that it can mess with your sense of time…. so when we came back on Monday I didn’t realise that there were only a few days until I left. So it has all been a massive rush, and I’m sure that I will land in Japan and remember something that I forgot to pack. Well that’s half the fun I guess, but we shall see how I go.

So off now into the blue yonder, to see what the wide world has in store for me!

World… get ready, here we come!