Wow, I’ve been home for just a week now, and so much has been happening.

First of all, it was great to see Edward again, my travel partner this summer on the TAT and CDT.

I’ve been catching up with friends, doing errands, cleaning up lots of paperwork left over from before I left in June, cleaning up more loose ends as I prepare to be gone for the next 8 months.

I have a million things to do before leaving, and the list seems to be growing rather than shrinking every day that goes by.

I have a cozy place to regroup this week–I’m housesitting for my friends G&M and getting to visit with my dogs they adopted and my cats that they are graciously taking care of.

(By the way, I am still looking for good foster / permanent homes for a great pair of sister calico cats if anyone has a lead for me).

Well I got back to Connecticut yesterday.

I was ready to cry mercy by the time I got back “home”–1100 miles in the cold on a small dirtbike, I must have earned some tough biker chick award or *something*. Dang, it was a long, cold ride.

So now I have a couple of weeks of “down” time–finishing up a couple of projects, writing magazine articles about my adventures so I can have some things in print while I am away, and processing my post Trans America Trail stuff of life.

And most importantly: getting the bike ready for South America. The question is: which bike? I’ve been talking to BMW Motorrad about them “sponsoring” me, which is a very exciting prospect. I plan on making my ride a fundraiser / awareness vehicle for finding breast cancer cures, and it would be GREAT to have them on board. But regarding which bike, Do I get the engine fixed on my DR350? Do I say enough is enough for that little bike and get a DR650? Do I ride my 1150 GSA that’s heavier than all get out, but all set to go? Or do I keep holding my breath and waiting for BMW to come through?

Leaves me in a bit of a pickle, not knowing which bike I am riding 3 weeks before the trip, but I’ve always been a gal that pulls it all together at the last minute…..

I’ve decided to stay in NC for another week…throughout my busy “corporate” life I’ve never been able to come and visit for a goodly chunk of time. I’ve also discovered that I can save almost $900 on my travel innoculations, getting them done at the Buncombe Public Health Dept rather than in Connecticut. Getting them done here is a no-brainer, especially since Mom will make me chicken soup if I feel poopy after all those shots!

Oct 1 I get to be a big pin cushion.

• Hepatitus A&B combo
• Tetanus booster (it’s free at Buncombe!)
• Yellow Fever (Yowtch! I got one when I traveled to Brazil in1991 and it was literally a pain in the butt!)
• Typhus (I think I can opt for an oral verson)

I also have to take malaria pills, so I have to do some research and see what strain(s) they have where I’m going. Research has shown that there are several different types.