This morning I woke up with the Cold Dreads. You may be familiar with them – they are the chattering list of all the things I need to do, finish, start, master, mail, decide, and pack before April 2012. We have drawn a line in the sand to push off then. April seemed a long way off when we made that decision, but the dates are rushing by and my list is longer now than it was three months ago. Land life keeps interfering with prep – you know: work, friends, Christmas, family, laundry, Wal-Mart, car maintenance…and all the stuff that needs fixing, maintaining, adding, cleaning, stowing, etc. on Raven.

I am a victim of adult ADD, and find myself rushing in six different directions, accomplishing a little here and a little there, but finishing nothing, which drives me to distraction. Hence the Cold Dreads. Because, that monkey mind insists, if you don’t do, finish, start, master, mail, decide, and pack, you will DIE.

Fortunately for me, I have been through this process before and I know how truly ridiculous it is. I well remember leaving our home, just for a long road trip, about eight years ago. You would have thought we were heading off into the wilds of Africa, we were so stressed. Leaving the dock in 2006 was the same. It will be the same this time, too. If I can just remember that once we push off (and I mean within the first 8” of clearing the dock) all this chatter stops and falls away and it’s just do the next thing, whatever that is.

Meanwhile, please excuse me. I have to work on that list.