So en route

At pearson airport, after an intense, overloaded week,quesadilla consumed and glass of shiraz half drunk... finally relaxed after running, it seems, in my sleep.

The intensity of the past week made me realize that I am simply doing too much, and I have to trim (maybe hack) at some things, things I love doing with people I care about. Too many nodes to do any of them really well. That's the sub-current of this trip -- to get some clarity on what those things are while flying, driving, walking -- if I can think clearly through the haze of malaria drugs, altitude drugs, dust, nausea and motion sickness tablets.

And, on this brink, suddenly overwhelmed with giddiness at being with the kids less than 48 hours from now. I had a little exchange with a little girl on the streetcar today, about her hat and my hat (purchased rapidly at the last minute, after everyone I know who's done Kili told me that they were unbelievably cold on the last day). And realized that my girls and boys in this one pocket of the earth are truly real.

I was surrounded this week by people who helped me and encouraged me and scaffolded me into getting to this moment in the airport -- special kudos to sonya for shouldering so much of The Project on her own, Danny for stickhandling so much, and Renee, Lee, Modo and Bennett for bolstering me up. ANd to B for her stellar packing and airport-dropping off skills. No thanks to the teeth-grittingly irritating move of my property manager for changing the locks on my apt while I'm gone, but things are in motion, and I'll deal with that when I get back. Love you all.

And off I go.