Christmas in London was absolutely lovely and I’ve got more to share on that, but at the moment this is what’s happening:

As of this morning I had packed nothing and planned nothing more than my airfare, a car, and a place to stay the first few nights. After Justin left this morning I went into hyperdrive to take down Christmas, pack for a week in New Zealand (which could include everything from art galleries to beaches to volcano-climbing), book some fancy restaurants and a food tour, and get to the airport via the tube because the express trains aren’t running.

I had a moment of despair when I tried to check in for my flight and was told I needed a visa. That was news to me because I had checked weeks ago and am confident the interwebs had said none was required for US passport-holders. Moreover, although the site took online applications, the standard processing takes at least one business day! I paid for expedited treatment and prayed it would come in fast. The travel gods were kind–I had the approval within minutes. So now I’m on the other side of security carb-loading for this 24-hour flight to the other side of the world.

See you on the other side!