confirmed.

Another week has flown by but its been a very productive one.

There is now an official start date set of Monday, March 31st! That's right, its official now. Plane tickets have been bought and shipping details have been confirmed. There's no turning back now.

There was actually quite a bit of confusion surrounding the travel arrangements which had me on the phone for hours with airlines and 3rd party shipping companies. Let me explain: After scouring paddling message-boards for tips on getting a 17.5 foot kayak from Baltimore to Miami I came upon the very surprising recommendation to simply check it as baggage on Southwest - the only airline that will accept kayaks. Doubtful, I called SW who actually assured me that it would be no problem, just to show up extra early and that I would have to pay a 50 dollar fee. I was a little skeptical, but cheap flights and I can check my kayak; imagine my excitement! This was going to be so easy. However, the next day before securing one of their "web deals" I thought I would double check over the phone to make sure I wouldn't be showing up to a frustrating situation at the airport. Good thing I did. The representative was firm in telling me that there was no way they would be accepting a kayak - not for any fee - and this was after I had her triple check with her supervisor.

So...many quotes and questions later I have reached an arraignment with Forward Air who despite their name is actually a trucking company. For a reasonable 140 dollars they'll be moving my kayak (hopefully in one piece) from a terminal in Baltimore to one in Miami - just minutes from the airport where I'll be touching down. My brother is going to be accompanying me down on the 29th, helping me fill my first stock of supplies and then officially launcing on the 31st.

Its weird, but after 2.5 months of planning and preparation confirming these transportation details finally caused a sense of nervousness and anxiety. Its since passed, and I think its normal, but there was a strong feeling of inevitability resonating with me. I think more then anything I am just very excited to get back on the water and outside. Preparation has meant a lot of time spent on the phone and in front of the computer which just doesn't work well for me.

Anyways, a lot of gear showed up this week which is always fun. Pretty much every day this week was a mini Christmas. An array of dry bags on Tuesday, map cases & new stove on Wednesday, and then a very compact summer bag on Thursday. I'm very happy with the gear I've selected for this trip. I tried to pick gear that would have the best combination of weight, durability, and versatility. Also I was very fortunate to secure some very, very generous corporate sponsorships this week. Costa Del Mar has kindly furnished a pair of their fantastic sunglasses. Clark Hammocks is providing one of their totally bad-ass jungle hammocks which I could not be more excited about, and Werner was very accommodating in rushing out a spare paddle from their factory in Washington. LOOK FOR MORE ON THIS ISSUE ON THE WEBSITE.

After a satisfying week of productive work I thought I deserved a reward so I went to one of my absolute very favorite music venues to see a terrific band play. They hail all the way from Leeds, England and go by the name The New Mastersounds. These guys are fuuuuunkyyy. And, of course, being from across the pond, these smashing lads play to all the birds and blokes sporting rather dashing trainers and trousers. Check them out.