Go West, Young (Wo)Man

It has been an insane week.

There's been something of note going on every evening since last Tuesday. Which would explain, perhaps, why I didn't finish packing for my weeklong venture -- of which I've known since, oh, late May -- for which I've been mentally and otherwise preparing for since the beginning of the month -- to which I've been counting down the days since June -- ten minutes ago.

Hey, I'm still marginally ahead of schedule. It's a good thing.

The catch to the packing process is the simple fact that I'm driving. When I fly, I pack small. I went to England for a week (in February, including a wedding) with a carry-on bag. When I drive, I pack ... everything. I'm prepared for almost any weather. (If it snows, I guess I'll just have to layer like it's, you know, snowing in July.) I have clothes for hiking, winery-hopping, hottubbing, nights out, quality ranch time, and some potential job-search-networking-type-stuff. And it's possible I have too many shoes.

A girl's gotta be ready for anything, okay?

And so it is that I'm headed west. Just me and Sophie ... and Jonbear ... and perhaps a cousin for one leg of the trip. And of course all the people I'm dropping in on over the course of the week.

Hmm.

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