If all goes according to plan, I will start hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in under three weeks. This very month! As I am so very human, I am starting to develop little momentary panics over things that I cannot possibly control or even predict.

Going down the back stairs early this morning, they were a bit damp from morning dew and my foot slipped. Immediately after I regained my balance, I squinted down at my ankles and mumbled, "Don't you dare..."

The new lightweight hiking shirt I ordered at the end of February specifically for the Southern California desert? Still not here. It was backordered and was supposed to be available again at the end of March. Still no notice from the company that it has shipped. Sort of need a shirt for this trip. Sure, sure, I have plenty of options if that one does not come through in time. Still! That shirt! It's important! If it does not arrive, who knows what else could go wrong!

Since I work during the day, I am trying to hike with a full pack immediately after work every day. Tonight Amelia tried lifting my pack with 6 litres of water inside and you could see a brief cloud of concern cover her face. "That's how much six litres weighs? Shit, Paul..."

These little bouts of panic only last a few seconds at most, but I think there is a certain amount of pressure that builds when you start planning trips/adventures of this magnitude. I have been talking about this trip on Twitter and Facebook for months now, and even though I am a curmudgeon whose own ego eclipses the opinions of others, I surely do not want this trip to fail in the first week.