Yes, well, I bought the teva kayak shoes. Pretty darned ugly but very practical. My mom would have been proud. The useful part, besides all the adjustable belts and velcro, is that they have toe protection, so they can be worn kayaking and then used to do the hiking that apparently will be happening on this upcoming Baja trip as well.

The good news about packing for the Mexico trip is that we can’t bring much. It all has to eventually be stuffed into a tiny kayak which has to include all the camping gear that the outfitter supplies, so I really am not too worried about throwing a little bag together for the trip on the 22nd.

The bigger deal is trying to figure out what the heck to pack for Norway. I just received an email from my stepdad who spent most of his life at sea and has been everywhere. He looked at the North-of-the-Arctic-Circle itinerary and said, “Oh my, you are going to be a popsicle.” Okay, I’m paraphrasing, but he’s impressed at how far freakin’ north I’m heading. I prefer to arrive in blissful ignorance of my destination so it all comes at me with no preconceived notions. However. It would seem I really should confirm expected temperatures.

Popsicles are much more appealing off the Dickie Dee truck in the summertime. Not so much when they’re my toes. In spite of the song.