Packing up; On our way tomorrow

We are leaving tomorrow for Romania. We've been taking a crash course on this country and its very complex history. I'm only a third of the way through the Cambridge history that Peter has already finished. But we know enough to to be excited for this new adventure. There are 9 of us making the trip: three adults and 6 teens on our way to help build a Ropes Course for Viata's new camp location. 

On Monday afternoon Adi from the New Horizons Foundation will meet us at the airport and shepherd us to the Umbrella Hostel in Bucharest. We will visit the People's Palace on Tuesday before we pick up sandwiches and head for the Gara de Nord to catch a train for the 6 hour ride west to Petrosani and Lupeni. 

We've been working all week. Some tasks are about leaving (yard work, paying bills, stopping mail); other tasks are about arriving (buying toiletries, replacing a worn bag, collecting gifts). Today we are packing. It is a hot day for the job. Sweat trickles down my cheeks as I sit close to a fan. The thunderstorm this afternoon brought only humidity and a bit of rain. It is so dry that we didn't even mow our parched lawn. This morning I checked the weather for Bucharest and it should be about 90F when we arrive so we won't cool down until we arrive in the Carpathian Mountains in Lupeni.

Brandi, our loving host, advised us to pack a change of clothes in our carry on bag and label everything with our arrival destination. Apparently bags are often delayed at the Bucharest airport. I wonder which of us will win that particular lottery and not have to carry our bag on the train?  I bet it will be me. My bag is obscenely heavy. I don't like to travel with a heavy bag but this time my bag is full of gifts for the Bates. There are books and library materials, a hand held scanner for the library, prizes for the summer reading initiative and ginger health supplements.  

The marshmallows are in my carry on bag. I hope TSA folks are not hungry tomorrow. Apparently Romanian marshmallows just don't cut it for s'mores so we are importing some campfire delights. And my new boots are broken in and ready for a hike. 

Peter has spent all day laying everything out carefully, before he packs. I closed my bag yesterday, but I've torn it apart at least three times today as I think of items to add (more socks?), search for essentials (where is the camera battery charger?), reasses what I packed (do I need that fleece?). Peter's style is much more methodical but we usually arrive with what we need.  

By tomorrow we will be ready. Next post from Bucharest.