I'm not ready...

Well, it's that time of year again. I leave in the morning for Rites of Spring and I am not ready.

Everything that can be packed at this point is packed, although not loaded into my truck yet. But the more I packed, the less ready I felt. I don't know how to explain it. I just don't feel ready.

I have been looking forward to Rites for quite a while now, as well as looking forward to spending time with TWIL. And I still am. I just suddenly feel that ...

... I don't know. Something feels off.

Maybe it has to do with all the rain we have been getting for the past 2-3 weeks, and the fact that TWIL and I will be staying in a tent. Possibly because of how big a deal some of her friends are making about the fact that she will be in a tent. But that doesn't seen like it. These feelings are somehow bigger than that.

...

Actually, let me clarify one thing. I will be getting to Rites tomorrow, along with a group of people who help to set the place up. TWIL will not be getting there until Wednesday, when the main group arrives. But we will have from then until we pack up, the following Monday, together. All told, by the weekend there should be almost 500 people gathered.

...

I can't type any more right now. There is a voice I need to hear, so I'm off to make a phone call. I don't know if I'll be back on before I leave, but in case I am not, I hope everyone has a good week. I will be in a tent with no Internet until the 29th. Don't expect anything out of me until, probably, the 30th.

For those of you on my Quote of the Day(?) list, I have left the list on autopilot so you should still get a quote every day while I'm gone.

Walk in Beauty.
Peace.

Parting is such sweet sorrow...

I am still spending, on average, every other weekend with TWIL. {Around 1000km (600 miles) round trip} This means that when I am leaving to head back on Sunday evening I know it will be about 12 days before I see her again. {We still talk every night, but I can't see or hold her over the phone.} You can imagine this doesn't make it easy to leave. Not that it would be "easy" if it was going to be 12 hours, it would just be easier.

Because it takes between 5 and 6 hours to drive the 500km back I usually leave around 5:00pm. Although I need to admit that lately this has been slipping to 6:00pm. And it gets harder to leave when this time sneaks up on me.

A couple of weeks ago TWIL and I were sitting on the porch, talking and enjoying each others company, and when I looked at my watch it was approaching 4:00pm. We kept talking and the next thing I knew it was after 5:00pm. No time to prepare myself, just get my stuff together, say goodbye, get in my truck, and get on the road.

Usually I'll take my time and gather things up in batches over the span of the afternoon. Doing it all at once and heading out the door was ... difficult.

When The Sprout is home leaving can be even more difficult. She has a tendency to slow me down so that it takes me longer to get on the road. This is because she doesn't want me to leave so I don't mind. After all, I don't want to leave either.

The Sprout has told me that she likes it when I come out for the weekend and we get to spend time together. I can't tell you how good this was to hear. I couldn't help but smile. {Just thinking about it is making me smile again.}

I am heading out there after work tonight. It will be the three of us all weekend and should be great.

I hope the weather holds. It is supposed to be mostly sunny all weekend.