Acceptance

First thing this morning, we accepted the offer to Zambia and within an hour the FedEx man had delivered a thick packet of materials that make it seem even more official: passport and visa applications, a million other forms, and a letter from George W. Bush.

While I walked the dog, I ran into the mayor, who was riding to work on his bike, so bundled up I could barely recognize him. I yelled out, "We're going to Zambia!" and he stopped to chat for awhile.

I said goodbye to our houseguest Hank and came to work, where I tried to quit, but my boss was in a meeting. Then her meeting was over, and somebody stepped into her office just ahead of me. Then she had gone to the bathroom.

But I finally did it! There's no turning back now. I will take next week as vacation, then come back to help ship the magazine the following week. Then, the next phase of the adventure begins.