Up and Away

The furthest I've ever been out of the country is Squamish, B.C. Squamish is beautiful. I climbed a cliff there. But it's not a very foreign place (and it'll be even less foreign if the Obama health care plan goes through. :P)

That should change in a couple of months. It's official: Lou and I have bought tickets to Italy! We're planning to spend the bulk of our time in Rome, with possible visits to other spots such as Assisi and Florence. Mom and Dad St. Hilaire and two of their best friends are going with us, so the trip should be a great mixture of pilgrimage and fun.... I'm thoroughly excited.

After chasing multiple airplanes carrying a duffel bag and book bag this past February, en route to and from Florida, I have attempted to make life easier for myself by buying a backpack. I am betting myself that I can get everything I need to survive for two weeks into that bag, and keep it under 20lb. It might take some practice, but Rick Steves tells everyone on his trips to do it, and I figure I can too.

I also bought myself a small spiral-bound notebook. We're going the end of October and early November, which means that I'm going to be in Italy for the first week of NaNoWriMo. That will add to the challenge, and I'm rather excited; since I don't have a full-time job, jet lag and writing by hand for a week will put me more nearly on an even playing field with everyone else. Besides, I'm also betting myself that I can work aspects of the experience into my novel somehow.

As the proud owner of such fine new gear, I must show it off:


Yes, that is a "Disney fairies" notebook. I can't help myself. I'm still a little girl at heart, dreaming of princessdom and fairyhood.

Also in the travel books is a trip to the mountains to pick huckleberries for the next few days. I won't be back till late Tuesday, so blogging will not naturally occur. If time allows tomorrow, I may set up a couple of Fifty Favorite Books to post automatically on Monday and Tuesday, but that feature of Blogger has been known to not work. We'll see. It'll be a surprise!