Final preparations

Today something tangible happened. In the great scheme of things it wasn't much, it will never make headlines, and it won't change the world, but to me it was significant nonetheless. Written into my contract is a clause that allows me 25kg of unaccompanied luggage at no cost to me. Today my 25kg started it's journey to Colombo - unaccompanied, and unpaid by me. For the last week or two I have discreetly (so as not to cause upset) taken over the spare bedroom to make my preparations. I think I am a fairly organised creature for the most part so I have been laying out a collection of 'essentials', editing them, adding to, deleting from so that I end up with everything I think I will need to exist for 6 months in a place I have never been to, doing a job I have never done before.
How many pair of trousers will I need? Do I have a shirt I can wear a tie with if the need arises? What is the likelihood of that need arising? Do I have a tie that will match? Can I get away with one pair of semi-formal / semi-casual shoes? Will I really need a pair of jeans? Will I need a jacket? What if I run out of toothpaste, AA batteries, razor blades? Will I take my favourite kitchen knife?
Slowly the pile of stuff was trimmed to a more realistic sized mountain and 23.5kg of it was crammed into my trusty Zarges alluminium deployment trunk, its contents listed and declared for customs, forms filled in and it's hasps secured with nylon cable ties. I decided I would save the hassle of trying to coordinate a courier pick up for it so tossed it into the boot and delivered it to 'Toll Priority' for dispatch - or so I thought. "Where is that going?" asked a fairly disinterested employee from behind the counter. "How is it getting there?" was the next question and suddenly I realised I would probably never see my Zarges box again. Turns out that there is another 'Toll Priority' several blocks away and they deal specifically with the international dispatch of Zarges boxes (among other things). They are of course agents for the real company and of course the building was all locked up so I had to revert to the 0800 number that I should have started with. "The courier will be with you in 20 minutes", and good as his word he arrived. "This is the first time I've done this!" again made me lose confidence, but I must admit the driver seemed to have all the paperwork sorted in good time and left me with sufficient documentation to commence civil procedings with should I never see 'Zarges' again.

Off it went. I follow next week.
The point of this posting however was that today's dispatch of a small alloy trunk to Colombo ("it should reach there before you do") was to my mind an actual confirmation that I am really going somewhere. I no longer have to pinch myself to see whether or not I am dreaming. I do hope though that I will see Zarges again in the not too distant future along with it's contents, especially my Isongbook and mokka pot coffee percolator!