This would be the time to use the phrase "OMG"? OMG!!!

Ok, as my travel counterpart, dearest c, settles into excitement, I catapult into "Wait,- did I say I was going?- There must be a mistake here- there is too much to do for that to happen. heh-heh-heh-heh-heh."
Yep, the inner rioting has begun as I start to pack and the lists get shorter, the bwahahaha of my internal anxiety radar gets louder. What the hell? Shouldn't it be the other way around?
Can I put this one down to the astrology gigantic-ness of tomorrow's new moon eclipse. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
-j

Pass another duffle bag, this one is full

See, the trick of it for me is to make a list of about 10,000 things, then decide on 10. That's the part that I fall all over myself about- I think: "I will only bring this pair of shorts and this shirt and a dress" and then I justify all of my clothing and am stuffed to the gills and have often ended up shipping boxes out before getting on the train. Not this time, this time I am determined to pack light. I will be the rockstar this time! Simplicity is my mantra!
Laundry is behind because of our camping trip this weekend so what was a small pile that could have registered a mere 1 extra small load is now about 6 loads so today is a laundry day (again).
We received an extra special treat from my mother in preparation for the trip- not only MadLibs (travel's best friend) but a giant map of the US I made when I was 13 that I embroidered on my trip from MA to Seattle the summer of my thirteenth year. I lost enthusiasm (of course) and have all the states outlined and a few embroidered with images but the rest are bare and awaiting embellishment. So, we are heading out to get embroidery floss and needles and the children are going to embroider different images on the maps as we go and we will see what comes out.
We start packing bags on Thursday and all the travel games are laid out. Next up- art supplies, journals, books and a duffle bag of food because train food is a microwave's favorite love-child. After sustaining yourself of train food you feel like eating your own leg off just to have something fresh with some form of life force rushing through it so we are bringing our own extra food in our effort to avoid cannibalism.
-j

I have been in denial..mostly about laundry and packing.

This is a train we are going on afterall. And we aren't checking bags. A month away. Well, this will certainly be an exercise in simplicity. Something that goes against my pack rat programming. This is starting to get good. Yikes! Jason is already teasing me about my "lists". I prefer to call them my memory. Ha ha ha. Yuk it up, y'all.
-c

Ah the countdown, excitement, chaos, laundry & anxiety

Did I mention wine?
I need some.
Yes, we are leaving, bon voyage and all that.
A trip that is so beautiful and so amazing and who knew that half the country is in fact Montana?
We are stoked. The kids are chomping at the bit and at the end? A huge house nestled in the Berkshires, my hometown......
-j

Let the countdown begin.

That's right.  6 kids, 2 crazy moms, 1 train, 4 1/2 days across the country from west to east....
I keep getting these bizarre looks when I tell people that we are doing this trip...sans husbands.  What?
It's the trip of a lifetime.  What's so crazy about that?
-c