Countdown to Budapest

The countdown to Budapest is about to reach single digits (10 days and counting as of right now!). Am I ready? Of course not. I have a huge pile of some (not all) things I would like to take, and will soon be faced with the challenge of how to cram those things into two suitcases. Can I do it? Probably not. When I went to Bolivia as a Rotary Exchange Student in 2000, my mom suggested I mail 2 boxes with extra things in them to Bolivia. The cost? A mere $364.59. So somehow I managed to survive without the 2 boxes. I expect I will face a similar situation this time around.

My biggest concern right now? Getting everything done before leaving. The to-do list seems to continue to grow, despite me spending all waking moments trying to widdle it down. Every time I turn around I think of something else that needs to be done. Going away for a year isn't like going for a few weeks. Banks and credit card companies need to be notified that I will be using my cards overseas and health and car insurance needs to be canceled. I have to buy 3 of anything I'm picky about (shampoo, deodorant, mascra, foundation, face cream, contacts, vitamins, etc.) to get me through until re-enforcements arrive in December (when my family comes to visit).

What won't get done? You would think learning Hungarian would be important at this point, but somehow it has taken a back-burner to these other tasks. Will I regret that decision when I am staring at my host parents and cannot even say "where is the bathroom?" Most likely. I guess that's where the adventure in all this comes in.

Keep those fingers crossed that my passport (with the appropriate visa) will arrive back from the Hungarian Consulate today. They promised me they would send them out today.

More later!