I managed to capture the Transit of Venus as well as a partial solar eclipse as it set in 2012, captured a lunar eclipse or two in the following couple of years, and even managed to snag a comet. I have been planning on this historic solar eclipse since about 2013, and I'm even aware of another total solar eclipse that will happen in seven years that will come up from Mexico and travel north, exiting the country from the state of Maine. It will pass by where I am about as close as the one happening tomorrow.

My original plan was to go to a location just south of Carbondale, Illinois, because the path of totality for both eclipses will crisscross there. My plan was to stand in the same location for both eclipses with my family.

Unfortunately, that's not going to happen.

I also had plans to purchase the necessary equipment to work with my camera gear so that I could capture this eclipse with the best detail that I could. But, I waited too damn long and now those things aren't even available anymore. They were out of stock before the eclipse glasses were.

I'm not incredibly far away from the path of totality, but I am far enough away that I will still see a crescent sliver of the sun. It's on a Monday, there are nearly 2,000,000 people who will be headed to the path of totality in my state so traffic is predicted to be a historic worst, and on top of all that, it's my son's first day of school. All of this adds up to one big ball of disappointment.

So, here in about six years, a full year ahead of the next eclipse, I'm going to be booking a hotel room and buying some photo gear. That will be the last chance I have in my life to catch the totality of a total solar eclipse.

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