Oh, boy. So here begins my final week in the United States before I go off and live in England for five months. I woke up this morning with next to no plans for the week, but have since made several arrangements to keep myself distracted and avoid panicking. I think I have a decent list going, but other suggestions from friends include:
A) Eat burgers.
B) Run around the house naked with an American flag draped over my shoulders like a cape. (Sounds fun, but I think I'll pass.)
All things considered, I've actually been relatively calm so far. I have contacted my landlord and she sounds like a very kind woman, I have completed the first step in enrolling for my classes (second step takes place face-to-face), and I am more excited about leaving than I am nervous. Of course, I say that now knowing full well that on Sunday night I will look like this:
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| Beaker says it best. |
No doubt I will barely be able to sleep that night, or on the plane. I can't sleep on flights, and I envy those who can! I suppose this isn't worth worrying about just yet, though. I have my final week here to relax. The only important things left to do are: tell my bank that I'm leaving the country for a few months and ask them to please not freeze my account when a transaction takes place in England (always good to remember this step when going abroad), print out lots of documents to prove I belong in the U.K. (pro tip: if you decide to study abroad, make sure you have access to a reliable printer), do laundry, and pack. I am only bringing one suitcase and a backpack, so figuring out what to bring and how to pack it will be an interesting little challenge. The lighter I pack, the easier it is to travel. When I was in Japan, Tim only brought one backpack; no suitcase. He certainly had an easier time getting from place-to-place than the rest of us. Packing light is the way to go! Maybe I'll get some of those fancy plastic bag things that you put clothes in and then push all the air out of to save space. Actually, that's not a bad idea...
Yesterday I came to the conclusion that I definitely caught the travel bug. I am about to go to England for five months and already some friends and I are planning our glorious return to Japan at some point in the next few years. I have also been planning a late-summer trip to Gettysburg, a place I went often when I was younger. (The plans for that trip have been in the works since before I applied to Kingston!) I haven't begun my next adventure and I'm already planning the one after it! What can I say? Exploring new places is absolutely thrilling, and returning to old ones (like Gettysburg) for the first time as an adult will be heartwarming, though it will probably make me feel old.
Well, there isn't a whole lot to say. This is definitely one of the worst parts of planning a big trip: waiting. After all of the paperwork that I had to fill out, all of the things I printed or photocopied, all of the email exchanges in preparation for my studies, it's almost uncomfortable not being busy. I keep worrying that I am forgetting something, but I have yet to find anything missing. Once I get to England, things will be hectic again; My first two days will be very busy, but if I can survive them I think I'll be okay. I just need to get through class registration and orientation in one piece!
I didn't make plans for today, but I think I'll go out and do some travel-shopping so I'm not just sitting around. That suitcase isn't going to pack itself, and I need to be prepared for England!
The next time I make a post, it will be from London. Goodbye for now!
I may participate in some Beakerness myself on Sunday night. But I am really excited for you and can't wait to read the first "across the pond" posting.
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