Getting Ready

I think one of the worst things about planning a big trip like this is watching your money fly out of your pocket like the dollar has suddenly dropped to the equivalent of the peso. You’d think you wouldn’t have to buy too many things for a big trip like this. Or maybe I was just an idiot. I thought I’d buy luggage, pack it full of clothes and toiletries, snag a plane ticket and go on my merry way around the UK.

Hell no, traveling isn’t that easy anymore.

Thankfully it seems like everything is starting to come together. My apartment is ¾ empty, and will be almost empty by the 8^th. After that I need to take whatever is left and either chunk it by the dumpster for the Frat Scavengers or take it to Goodwill/Salvation Army/Wherever-Will-Take-My-Crap.

Speaking of, does anyone need a CRT TV? DvD/VHS player? Coffee table? Microwave? Miscellaneous kitchen junk? I gots it. Crazy amounts of left socks? I gots those too.

I’ve also finally settled on luggage: a sizeable, completely waterproof duffel that straps to my back. It’s not as fancy or efficient as a backpackers backpack, but it’s a hell of a lot cheaper. Now I need a messenger bag for carrying my electronics, documents, and a spare change of clothes, and I’ll be golden. That shouldn’t be too difficult to find. I can pick something up in Indiana, probably.

I’ve created a packing list, but it seems kind of long. I’ll eyeball Rick Steve’s and Jourwoman’s packing lists online and see what I need to do to lighten my load. Maybe I’ll chunk the girly drink umbrellas and pretty sandals. Definitely the waffle maker.

I climbed a mountain recently and did all the healing and mind-clearing I could do without a guru and some hash present. I think I did a pretty good job, considering. I’m feeling much more centered now.

In exactly one week, I’ll be spending the last night in my very own bed, in my very own apartment. Then I’ll give it away so Meredith can roll around in it for a semester, and I’ll move out of my college apartment for good. I’ll scrub everything clean over the next few days, meet with Michael one last time to turn in the keys and harass someone about our deposit monies, and then graduate a few days later. In almost two weeks, I’ll close the door on a chapter of my life and hopefully begin a new journey.

Definitely feel free to join me for a few drinks between now and then, ‘cause I’ll need it.