Utah!

So the journey to Utah was only eventful in the fact that we got on the plane with NO time to spare. I was gripped the entire drive up to Albany airport and I admit to speeding a bit... But we weren't caught and managed to hop on the plane in the nick of time. My dad and I have been hanging out with our old friend Andy who lives in Salt Lake City, has a dizzy Izzy dog and heads the apes department at the Zoo here.
We've been taking a restful couple of days, just puttering around and organizing things before the next step, which is to head to the burn tomorrow. Burning man is in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. We're going to take a leisurely couple of days to drive out there, hopefully stopping at Bonneville Utah, also known as the salt flats, where it's speed week all week! Speed week is where they run the land speed trials and so on. So hopefully we'll get to see a little of that before continuing out to Nevada.
I've been working hard at finishing up things - mostly transcribing my hand written papers so I can send them back with my dad when he leaves. My computers, Sigyn and Scoll are coming in very useful and already I'm using them both everyday... makes me feel somewhat justified in carrying two computers with me. However, I'm trying to glean down more. I'm carrying three medium sized packs with me on this journey. One for my bedding and toiletries, one for clothes, shoes, camp eating set - bowl, fork, knife spoon, chopsticks, cup, a couple books, and one for my technology and extras.
It's exciting to have left the house but I'm already having separation anxiety. I keep thinking about things left undone, things left behind, things I still wanted to do. I'm trying just to breathe with it and look to that western horizon. Just another step and another... the world turns gently beneath my feet, or is it I that turns the world?

Today we went to the zoo with Andy because he wanted to check on the new baby monkey. It was hard to see that baby but we did get a sneak peak at the baby elephant who was having a riotous good time wallowing in the mud. We also saw a baby giraffe, tiger and snow leopard cubs, and little orangutans. There was a cheetah chasing magpies and a fantastic bird show, which I got some great pictures of. I'll load pictures when I can.

So step one complete.

Step Two: Leave here and head for Nevada and see Bonneville.

Step Three: The burn starts on Monday. Get through the gate and enter the desert for the next week.