Today's the day

We hope to get a decent night's sleep. [Yea, right.] In less than 11 hours we leave town and head for the airport.

Our bags are packed and weighed to make sure they're not too heavy. It seems too good to be true that everything we'll need for this trip -- every item we thoughtfully collected and prepared -- is in those bags and they are not overweight. It's technically the day we fly because it's past midnight here. I had a fitful night's sleep last night and was terribly upset about a single item that I'd counted on to be with me during this coming trip. But it had disappeared. The tiny SD card that goes into my GPS device, containing all the maps of our North American segment, was not in its box. Without it I would be terribly compromised as I endeavored to traverse the highways and byways of the US and Canada. It would be like flying without instruments. Like sailing without a compass. I found it this morning hiding under the bed (I don't rightly know why or how it got there). We can do this trip after all! My navigation device WILL work. We WILL find our way across that vast continent. All's well.

Friday Razelle and I got haircuts. We now have rather short hair so we won't need to get another haircut for perhaps a couple of months. We look groomed and spiffy.

This morning we went to services at our synagogue one last time to have our Rabbi say the blessing for travelers. I announced to the congregation that we were going to be traveling for the next four months. I mentioned the Jewish communities we planned to visit along the way: the Jewish Community Center in Mumbai, the main synagogue in Singapore and the westernmost Conservative congregation in the United States, Congregation Sof Ma'arav in Honolulu. I also mentioned that every Shabbat we would try to connect with a Conservative congregation as we crossed the US and Canada. We will seek out Jewish communities in Australia, too. Fiji is the only country we will visit where we don't expect to find a Jewish community. I told our fellow congregants here in Beer Sheva that the next time I see them it will be to celebrate Simchat Torah. They shook our hands and wished us a safe journey ("go forth in peace and return in peace.") I'm glad we took the time to go to services this morning.

Our house watchers came by this evening and we went over the last details. We handed them their keys.

Noga was a wonderful house guest. At 7 months old she has such a wonderful personality. Maayan and Shalev have been so helpful this weekend. We will be in constant touch with them as we travel.

During the morning I will buy one last important item and by midday we will be under way.

As often as I can find a WiFi connection as we travel, I will send along new posts to this blog.

Keep checking.