30 days. I have to admit to feeling a little schizophrenic during this final phase.  I seem to oscillate between bored (with a bad dose of cabin fever) and peacefully calm; (watching all the pieces fall in place).  Notice I’m not frantic, frustrated, or overwhelmed at any point so far.  Should I be?  There’s also been a few waves of sadness as the goodbyes and final landmarks start to appear….and there will be plenty more of those.  The hardest part will always be leaving the people, not matter how much I miss the palm trees and beautiful beaches.  At times everything feels so mapped out, and we are just working down the list, checking boxes.   But there have been a couple of physical injuries that have thrown a spanner into the works, which just serve as a reminder that the unexpected is always a possibility and I am grateful that despite them it all seems to be working out.

My goal is to spend the next month best enjoying what remains (Latham’s graduation, last trips around Manila and the Philippines, last time with friends and last favourite things) and the least stressful exit I can manage…