We are t-minus two days from my departure for the lakes and counting down.

For those not in the know, I’m heading up to the Boundary Waters on Thursday. It’s the first of what I hope will someday be many trips to the allegedly wonderful area in Minnesota’s North Woods. In fact, if the scenery is as beautiful as I’ve been told, I may just set up my tent and stay there for good – coming back to the Twin Cities in August for my wedding, of course.

Even though my first trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area is months away (I’ll be heading north in mid-June), I’m starting to get my supplies in order. I’m hoping to take advantage of sales and pre-summer season bargains while I still can.

With that in mind, I jumped on the chance to order a few tall-size fleece pullovers last week. My friend and guide said fleece clothes are some of the best things you can wear in the boundary waters, so long as they’re water repellant or at least mostly cotton-free.

After living in Minnesota for almost three years, I’m finally getting around to some of the things on my “Becoming a Minnesotan” to do list. I’ve already checked off a visit to the Spam Museum, so now I’m making an effort to understand baseball and pretty much crossing off or trying to understand everything on this list: http://www.commonplacebook.com/jokes/you_know_youre_a/you_might_be_a_2.s....

But this summer I’ll be doing something that I’ve wanted to do since I was in high school, and something that is distinctly Minnesotan.