Am I normal?

So does the average person sort their clothes three weeks before their holiday, hanging them all up to check they match?

Why the Trans Siberian?

I blame my mother. Well, don't we all? In this case, however, it really is her fault. In a conversation a couple of years ago, she suggested I go for a trip on the Trans Siberian railway to celebrate my (somewhat distant) fortieth birthday.

The idea stuck.

I managed to persuade three friends to join me on the journey, and three more to fly out to St Petersburg for my actual birthday. I set up a savings account with the credit union - a quick look at the travel options made it eminently clear that this would cost more than the average holiday. And I started planning.

Nearly two years on, and it's all bought and paid for - the visa, the tickets, the hotels - and I fly off to Vladivostok in a little over three weeks. All I have left to do is pack. Now, how many pairs of shoes can I fit in my rucksack...