My ‘rule of threes’ is laid out on the bed. 3 undies, 3 pairs of socks, 3 t-shirts, 3 bottoms (two pants + one skirt), 3 long-sleeve shirts. Plus .. one hoodie, a bandana, a windbreaker and a hat. That’s the clothes, a carefully considered selection. There is also a ziploc of first aid, a kit bag, a mosquito net and a pair of sandals. I’ll wear the boots.

Three is a good number. First of all it is odd, that’s good. It is also a sensible number for clothes-packing. One set to wear, one set can be waiting to be washed, and there is a spare set. That way if I can’t do a wash, I can always wash out two sets together and have the third to wear the next day in case the things don’t dry in one night.

The pristine American dollars are staying nicely flat between folded cardboard and ziploc’d shut. Burma requires pristine American dollars to exchange for their kyat. I wonder what they do with the dollars in Burma afterward? I wonder a lot of things about Burma. There will be so many discoveries.

We leave tomorrow. The house is battened down and since we didn’t replace the roof this past summer, the buckets are strategically placed for possible leaks while we’re away. We’re leaving our home behind and the (3) kids have all been mailed a recent happy photo of the two of us to put on their fridges while we leave them behind too. Our friends have been kissed and hugged good-bye.

Randy’s rule has always been to pack on the last day and no amount of discussion has changed that. I have been ready for weeks and one last glance confirms I am ready. Though we are both excited to be going to Burma we know our visit there will be bittersweet. We will keep in touch and will try to be as ‘Virginia’s moth’.

Love Monika and Randy