This entry is being typed via a bluetooth keyboard, on my Samsung Note2, while sitting aboard my WestJet flight from Toronto to Vancouver. From here on in, this will be my main means of communication throughout this trek.
First of all - I am amused that I actually seem to occasional have bars of service during this flight. Secondly, I'm very much not amused that I was unable to pair the bluetooth keyboard while in "Airplane Mode", even when I turned bluetooth back on.
The last few days were a crazy hazy whirlwind of preparations, sorting, packing, and tying up of loose ends. It goes without saying that this was not the type of a departure date that I had in mind. All in all, I think I needed another week of prep time for the trip, but felt pressured to fly out today (I only bought my ticket on Tuesday - You only need 2 days when you use airmiles) just so I could qualify for the last day of "Low Season". Live and learn.
My hope was to have already launched the fundraising campaign just before leaving. Now - will have to figure out the the final logistics of the launch whilst in BC. This should not be too complicated.
As mentioned, the last few days have been stressful and busy. All in all, I think I have coped with things rather well, despite not being where I wanted to be with everything pertaining to this trek.
Alas, I did not manage to prep/transfer a wide range of things from my computer at home. Am still hoping to do so remotely. I do have "Team Viewer" setup on my desktop, though I have never actually connected to my comp outside of my network at home. I suspect there will be a learning curve. All the audiobooks that I was planning to listen to while riding did not get transferred. Bummer.
The larger worry is that I totally over-packed, which is something I tend to do quite frequently, especially when under pressure. I had everything laid out, and I imagine I should have been much more selective. The initial plan was to have two checked pieces of baggage - my boxed bike and my boxed bike trailer, with everything else mixed between the two. I was not able to do this while maintaining a weight limit of 50lbs for each box. As such, I ended up packing 3 boxes in total, each weighing just under 50lbs.
Thankfully, WestJet employee Carmen was extremely merciful with me when I checked in. I explained that I was going to be cycling across Canada while fundraising for Mental Health, then realised that I did not really have much of anything to prove it. I offered the contact information for the person that I was working with from CamH, and also showed her this blog, which fortunately had a profile photo of me. All in all, Carmen took me for my word, and only charged me $50 for the additional baggage.
Ultimately, I think this positive experience with Carmen is what has left me feeling better about my over-packing. Now, all I'll have to do is drag this heavy weight-load across Canada, which is somewhat less painful than having to pay a fortune for such a privilege.
I guess we'll see how everything will come together once I am in Vancouver.
No comments:
Post a Comment