Preparations

Sometimes I wonder if the hell of preparation for a trip is actually worth the joy of the trip itself. I'm thrilled to be going to Italy, but the stress of getting ready is really a pain!

I did find out that campgrounds in Europe are much nicer than in the US, so we're looking at very nice bathrooms, restaurants, stores, etc. Too bad they don't have walls, A/C, and a bed... Oh wait, that's a hotel. Either way, it appears that I'll live through that.

Training is tough - it rains too much for significant training in April, so I don't really get the miles in that I need to. Hopefully that doesn't mean that I'll pass out on top of the first mountain. I also need to drop a few pounds so I don't need to carry them over said mountains - dropping 10 would certainly make for an easier climb.

My heart prep is the hardest though. In the busyness, I don't get the time away for contemplation and true preparation in that sense. Of course, even if I did, I'm not really sure how to prepare. I know that I need to hear from God in some key ways during this time, and I believe that He will be speaking to both Amanda and I quite a bit. However, I'm not sure how to really get ready. Maybe I shouldn't work so hard at all of this stuff...