diff --git a/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig b/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig
index e85aba9..401d097 100644
--- a/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig
+++ b/themes/intotheeast/templates/home.html.twig
@@ -64,18 +64,23 @@
         <div class="home-map" id="home-map"></div>
     </div>
 
-    {% include 'partials/trip-feed-col.html.twig' with {
-        trip_page: trip,
-        all_items: all_items,
-        journal_entries: journal_entries,
-        journal_count: journal_count,
-        story_count: story_count,
-        has_gpx: home_gpx_urls|length > 0,
-        gpx_urls: home_gpx_urls,
-        gps_points: gps_points,
-        show_sort: false,
-        pre_departure: all_items|length == 0
-    } only %}
+    {% if all_items|length == 0 %}
+        {% include 'partials/home-predeparture.html.twig' with {
+            trip_page: trip
+        } only %}
+    {% else %}
+        {% include 'partials/trip-feed-col.html.twig' with {
+            trip_page: trip,
+            all_items: all_items,
+            journal_entries: journal_entries,
+            journal_count: journal_count,
+            story_count: story_count,
+            has_gpx: home_gpx_urls|length > 0,
+            gpx_urls: home_gpx_urls,
+            gps_points: gps_points,
+            show_sort: false
+        } only %}
+    {% endif %}
 </div>
 
 {% if map_entries|length > 0 %}
diff --git a/themes/intotheeast/templates/partials/home-predeparture.html.twig b/themes/intotheeast/templates/partials/home-predeparture.html.twig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed95b75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/themes/intotheeast/templates/partials/home-predeparture.html.twig
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<div class="home-feed-col">
+    <div class="home-trip-header">
+        <h1 class="home-trip-name">{{ trip_page.title }}</h1>
+        {% if trip_page.header.date_start %}
+        <p class="trip-dates">Departing {{ trip_page.header.date_start|date('d M Y') }}</p>
+        {% endif %}
+        <span class="home-trip-counts">Coming soon</span>
+    </div>
+    <div class="feed">
+        <hr class="home-predeparture-divider">
+        <p class="feed-empty">The journey hasn't begun yet — check back once we're on the road.</p>
+        <div class="home-highlights-cta-wrap">
+            <a class="home-highlights-cta" href="/trips">In the meantime, explore my other trips →</a>
+        </div>
+    </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/themes/intotheeast/templates/partials/trip-feed-col.html.twig b/themes/intotheeast/templates/partials/trip-feed-col.html.twig
index aea4ab6..8c024ef 100644
--- a/themes/intotheeast/templates/partials/trip-feed-col.html.twig
+++ b/themes/intotheeast/templates/partials/trip-feed-col.html.twig
@@ -1,23 +1,6 @@
 {% import 'macros/stats.html.twig' as stats_m %}
 {% import 'macros/cycling.html.twig' as cycling_m %}
 <div class="home-feed-col">
-{% if pre_departure %}
-    {# ── Pre-departure landing state (home-active only) ──────────── #}
-    <div class="home-trip-header">
-        <h1 class="home-trip-name">{{ trip_page.title }}</h1>
-        {% if trip_page.header.date_start %}
-        <p class="trip-dates">Departing {{ trip_page.header.date_start|date('d M Y') }}</p>
-        {% endif %}
-        <span class="home-trip-counts">Coming soon</span>
-    </div>
-    <div class="feed">
-        <hr class="home-predeparture-divider">
-        <p class="feed-empty">The journey hasn't begun yet — check back once we're on the road.</p>
-        <div class="home-highlights-cta-wrap">
-            <a class="home-highlights-cta" href="/trips">In the meantime, explore my other trips →</a>
-        </div>
-    </div>
-{% else %}
     <div class="home-trip-header">
         <h1 class="home-trip-name">{{ trip_page.title }}</h1>
         {% if trip_page.header.date_start %}
@@ -79,5 +62,4 @@
         });
     });
     </script>
-{% endif %}
 </div>
diff --git a/themes/intotheeast/templates/trip.html.twig b/themes/intotheeast/templates/trip.html.twig
index c3bf358..9dca73e 100644
--- a/themes/intotheeast/templates/trip.html.twig
+++ b/themes/intotheeast/templates/trip.html.twig
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@
         has_gpx: has_gpx,
         gpx_urls: gpx_urls,
         gps_points: gps_points,
-        show_sort: true,
-        pre_departure: false
+        show_sort: true
     } only %}
 </div>