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November 6, 1997

Monterey CA, Hawaii pre-departure. Update #2

Thursday, November 6th 9:00PM
Monterey, California

Same desk chair, different day. Moksha, the people around her and the expedition as a whole are on a definite roll, and the sense of momentum is noticeably building as the day of departure approaches. As long as the weather keeps on smiling at us, we should be bound for the islands just over a week from now, and the list of things to do never seems to grow shorter. It is an interesting exercise in faith, trusting that essentials are winging their way across the country by mail even as we speak, and will arrive when they are most needed, but despite the headaches and seemingly endless phone calls it is all working out, and I guess we can start to allow the tiniest shred of optimism to enter our thoughts.

Today, Casey and I were involved directly for the first time in the educational aspect of the Expedition, when a 4th Grade class from Santa Catalina School came to visit Moksha, under the capable eye of their teacher Suzanne Geller. It was a mutual learning process, the children hopefully gaining an insight to the materials and ideals behind our journey, and happy astonishment on our part at the energy and curiosity which the children showed. It will be as fulfilling for us as for them to make the most of our daily updates once we are at sea, and it may give us a much needed chance to exercise our brains as well as our legs!

There is still an element of unreality about all this for Casey and I, as if the enormity of it all is a little too much to grasp at once. The momentum is there, the preparations are proceeding well, but the end result of all this work is still somehow remote. I'm guessing that it will only seem real and immediate when the land begins to drop beneath the horizon, but for now the sense of detachment is helping to keep the worst of the butterflies at bay!

-John.

Posted on November 6, 1997 5:20 AM