T - 7 Days

Greetings to all who will be following our trip. This is my first entry after many subtle hints to get on it! and figure it out! Time has been quite hectic over here in London with my new job(s) and recently moving here. A suggestion to anyone else planning on a major trip such as ours... don't move cities and jobs within a few months prior to the trip.

I have also been plagued recently with an odd upper airway infection of sorts. Luckily it was not classified as strep which lead to the unfortunate result that I couldn't get a script written for antibiotics. I believe I have beaten this bug, but it added stress to my life for the past week or two and put me behind on my preparations. I am glad and remind myself that at the very least I was able to have enough time to recover from the illness before the trip and am able to go. Sleep and personal health is in the forefront of my mind to ensure my best foot forward for this 'adventure'.

Peach and I have been swapping notes quite regularly and are tying up the (at times seemingly endless) last issues which need addressing.

On a more local note I have to remark on how poorly equipped the city of London is for selling or the ability of getting any technical equipment or clothing. This was not expected but in the past few years almost all the outdoors equipment stores have shut down or cutback on their stock to the point one cannot even get glacier sun glasses or goggles. To compensate I have had to compile a last minute list of items to purchase and shortened my last work week in London.