Last minute jobs

As I had some money to bank into my travel account I drove to Home City this afternoon. It’s great having a bank account at your local bank that you can use in automatic teller machines throughout the world! No need for travellers cheques or credit cards—just the card from my own bank. I have sufficient money now for my trip; probably more than sufficient. As we’re staying in monasteries, seminaries, and parish houses, our accommodation is not expensive, and anyway, that’s already been paid for. I want to buy some special gifts for family and others, so I will need some money if they’re to be decent gifts and not rubbish.

I called into a chemist shop to buy some travel socks for the plane trip to prevent deep vein thrombosis. Then went and had my hair trimmed to look my best while away. As I was visiting my favourite bookshop to buy a book to read on the plane, my phone rang. It was one of the local radio stations ask if I’d be interviewed about my trip. So after buying a book (yes, a Robert Ludlum novel!) I made my way to the radio station where I was interviewed about the reason for the trip, what I hoped to learn, what I was especially looking forward to, and so on. They want me to be interviewed about the trip when I return in early November.

It was then home to prepare to celebrate Mass for the woman who died early yesterday morning. As I’ll be out of the country for the funeral on Tuesday, I wanted to support her husband in some way. A number of parishioners and some of his friends will be present.

I’ve spent the rest of the evening working out what clothes to take, washing them if necessary and packing what I can before Sunday. Tomorrow will be spent on watering pot plants, tidying the house, and make final arrangements with the priest who is looking after the parish during my absence.

This will definitely be the last chance I get to write here before flying to Big Smoke on Sunday afternoon. I may post an entry while I’m in Big Smoke on Monday morning before I fly out of the country. If not, I’ll be back in a month.