Last year our trip began on a slippery slope aboard a Greyhound bus sliding sideways down an icy highway. This year our trip begins two months earlier which, I hope, will mean no ice on the road. We're in Canada though... who knows?

Come to think of it the buses in South America weren't any safer when we raced down narrow dirt Peruvian roads seven years ago. What are we thinking?

The older I get the more I wonder why we do these crazy things. Truth is none of the crazy things are ever really planned. They just happen! That's what makes travel so interesting to me. You start out with a vague plan and then, breathless, you look back at the experiences that change your life forever.

We have our bus tickets to Abbotsford where my wonderful sister has agreed to put us up for the night... feed us a wonderful meal ( washed down by a couple glasses of wine....) then drive us the next day to the airport. Giving one last hug and wishes for a safe trip we will set upon the great 'airport' adventure.

Today we count our money, check our packs, start to eat what's left in the fridge, work on finishing the Christmas cards and get the house and garden ready for a Canadian winter.

Just a few more days to go.