Daniel is leaving tonight on a plane...

Yes, Elton John lyrics. An opening line that's quite familiar to me, and quite often true. Perhaps too often.

So I'm off to Scotland. Off to resume the constant movement and constant change that I call "life" these days. Yeah. The house is the cleanest it's been in a long time (mostly 'cos I took the trash and recycles to where they belong). I've given one of our neighbors a key, in case any of the various people who're interested in looking after or inhabiting it in some way while we're all gone actually pan out. I took way too many bananas to the office, gave some chocolate to a friend, and so on.

I'm sad to be leaving. Maybe because I don't know when I'll return. I might have a chance to visit for a little bit in early April, or late May, or early June, or I might come back for the summer in July... but I honestly don't know yet. Nothing's booked. Nothing's decided that far in advance. I do know that I want to come back - this place is home. I'm also sad 'cos there are some people here who I'm going to miss.

On the flip side, I'm really looking forward to seeing  family in Scotland, and I'm really looking forward to the other places I'll be going, and the people I'll be seeing and collaborating with (some of whom I miss at present).

But I'm still sad.

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to work 55 hours at my main job, start a 5th part-time job, and do 8+ hours of volunteering in my last 7 days here. Being on planes and in airports for 24 hours will probably reduce my stress level considerably, if only because I won't be dealing with everything during that time!

I hope to post again later this week... from a markedly different latitude and longitude.

Off I go!

Do you still feel the pain of the scars that wont heal? - Elton John, Daniel