Everything that will fit in my suitcases is packed, and all that is left is to take apart this computer so I can haul the innards back to Armenia with me. Perhaps I should get a laptop, but for now, lugging my hard drive all over is doing the trick. It is cold and wet here and in Yerevan, so I hope that I don't regret not taking the inner liner of my winter jacket. I just have so much stuff this time, since I am taking an entire work wardrobe, which fills almost an entire suitcase by itself. That leaves one suitcase for everything else; plants, regular clothes, household things, books, papers, seeds... The next time I return from Armenia I am determined that I am just not going to bring all this stuff back. Having a life in two places is a royal pain, and if I have to I am just going to own two of the same books, pants, etc so that I can just leave them behind! I have a big gardening book that has been to Armenia and back twice already and is going back again. This time, it stays! Alright, enough complaining about that :-)

I don't have that nervous feeling like I am forgetting to do this or that before a big trip. I feel like I remembered everything and it is all taken care of. Of course only time will tell. I am also glad I did not keep my lenten diet to the end, since I don't feel deprived of anything and even though it is my last couple of days, I can't think of any place I just have to eat before I go. It could just be I am getting older and don't care any more, or I have been back and forth too many times, or it could be I am not in Southern California so there is no Baja Fresh fish taco, no In 'n Out burger, no Kelly's Korner Tavern turkey club, no Trabuco Oaks steaks... hmmm, yes, that could be it.

I take off in the middle of the night tonight, and arrive in the middle of the night tomorrow. Hopefully I will see some more positive changes at Zvartnots Airport...