I am trying to finish some work-related things before finishing my packing (such as it is). I am one of those people who travels light: toiletries, some changes of clothes – and clean underwear, ever mindful of that motherly mantra that everyone knows so very well – my laptop, cameras, and phones, and I’m ready to go. This is entirely unlike most of the people with whom I travel, who seem to feel the need to take along all of their clothing, “just in case”. In the very rare event that I’m asked to dine at the Governor’s Ball in one of the states through which we’ll pass and I require something more formal than shorts or jeans, it’s not as if we’re leaving civilization entirely: there will be plenty of stores in which to find something appropriate. Since I doubt the Govs of the Gulf States know or care who I am, the only reason I would need dressier clothes would be if we decide to get a reservation at one of the finer dining establishments in San Antonio – and for that, the concierge would point me to a good location for shopping.

But as much as it would be interesting to eat at one of those upscale restaurants, I prefer street and casual dining. The former is a blast in places you’ve never been, and I have no doubt San Antonio is full of taquerias along with the restaurants that line the Riverwalk. There will be plenty of walking about the city and plenty of pictures, as I went out today and bought an extra battery and an extra memory card for each camera, both of which I’ll be toting around during our walking excursions.

We’re staying in a four star hotel near the Riverwalk, which will afford a great variety of destinations nearby that will not include driving around for hours. I like that. It’s nice to walk around, doing the tourist thing in the midst of other people doing the same, mingling with the locals as we go off the beaten path, and in general just enjoying life without thinking about what’s next on my todo list – or trying not think about it, anyway.

The only downer to this trip is that whole eating thing. I’d gladly spend four and a half days eating my way down the Riverwalk and through the city, but I still can’t eat very well nor can I eat very much at one sitting. If I can con my mother into acting as a proxy, I could probably get her on board and we could share some samplings of various foods – except fish tacos, against which she has an irrational bias – even though she doesn’t eat that much during the day herself. Or I’ll just bite the bullet (so to speak) and stuff myself with what I can, where I can, and that will be that.

I’m looking forward to this vacation, the first I’ve had in about five years. It’s a bit of a working vacation, since I won’t really be away in the sense that I’ll be out of touch, but it is a vacation nevertheless, and well-deserved. My brother moved back to the homestead yesterday, so my sister won’t be alone – she hates to be alone. My other sister has agreed to watch over my cats while I’m gone, since the other two kids are both allergic to cats – a little strange, considering that there have always been animals around this family since before they were born, but that’s the way it goes.