Visa number one

I got my Indian visa in the mail this morning! Last week brought a huge amount of stress over this thing. I needed to speak with the visa office, but had very limited time during normal business hours to actually converse with someone, odd half hour increments that got me no where. I was told on Tuesday that I could pay online, found out that night I could not in fact pay online. Thursday I was told again that I could pay online, I obviously wasn't looking hard enough. Went back home determined to pay online, I went to sleep feeling like a complete idiot for not being able to find the 'pay' button. On Friday I was told that I really, really couldn't pay online and the people I had been speaking too before had been mistaken. This woman directed me to send an email to the office authorizing them to charge me the visa fee, but the email came back. The week ended with me completely freaking out, having nightmares about not being able to go to India. Monday morning brought relief when Jack (Sue's husband) called the office to find out what was going on and got the mattered settled. So I now have my visa into India!! Thailand is next, but this has to wait until the very last second, talk about nerve racking. Anywho. Has anyone checked the countdown? 17 days. Yup. 17 days and I will be on a flight out of the states!  

I ramble when I get the jitters

I began packing up my apartment today. I have a storage unit ready to go, boxes sitting in the livingroom and my closet all but packed up. This packing of the closet included the clothes I will not need, books, writing stuff and shoes. I packed up all my writing 'how to' and tool books. I wish wish wish I could take them with me. I know I will be a writing machine when I start my travels and it would be so nice to have them, but it will also be nice to not have a back pack that weighs thirty pounds while traveling for two days.... Hmmm.. My books are going to be one of the hardest things to leave. Not that it wont be hard to leave friends and family. But I live for my books, and the thought of not having access to my lovely little library for six months kills me. I've limited myself to three books for the trip. One will be one I've read a hundred times, a comfort book, as of right now it's Outlander. The other one will be a long one, possibly a Harry Potter. The third will theoretically be a new one, but we shall see.
It's crunch time, with only a month left before I leave Austin, and 39 days until I leave for Thailand. My to-do list is still a mile long and I am starting to panic, will I have everything done in time? Between work, work, and more work there are not enough hours in the day to do the running around that needs to be done 0.o I just need to remember to breathe and that all this hard work will be worth it starting the 16th of August. Any good thoughts you can spare, send them my way!
My stomach has started the nervous rolling and fluttering of butterflies that comes with travel preperations. It starts when ever I see the suitcase in my room, or receive an email from Walai or Sue, or check off an item on the to-do list. I am excited that my depature is coming up, that I will finally be living my dream (well about half the dream. The full blown dream is teaching English in Africa, but I'm more then happy to have this chance to go and do incredible things in Thailand), but I am so nervous.
I have nothing new or fun to report from Thailand. It's going to be hot and sticky while I am there (still trying to figure out how I am going to squash my rain boots into my suitcase. It will happen ;). The weather is nothing new, I've lived in a hot weather climate for most of my life and I've gotten quite a dose of unbelieveable, sticky humidity living in Austin for the last two and a half years.  I do have my address in Thailand, if you would like to have it please email me and I can give it to you. (Hint: I looooooove handwritten letters, both sending and receiving them)

On to the next item on the to-do list. Been thinking of opening a Flicker account to store pictures. I've not seen a place to put them on the blog. And, really, what fun is this without pictures?

Update

Good news, I dont have to have ANY shots before I leave!!! I've already had all the required shots (HepAB, and MMR) and the oral version for Typhoid a few weeks ago. I went from the possiblity of 7-8 shots for $600 and got away with no shots for $130 :) Such a relief!!

I've started packing, meaning all the things I want to take (stuff for the girls mostly) are piling up on my trunk to the point I cant see out of my window. Sue gave me a suitcase that is nearly full, I have not weighed it yet. I hope its under  50 pounds!

I'm going to get my visa photos this week and start on that process as well as start packing up the apartment and moving it into a storage unit. So much to do with so little time!

Waiting to hear back from Walai (the director in Thailand) about the weather and what kind of clothes to bring. I will be there in the rainny season and want to take my rain boots... Correction, I WILL be taking my rain boots come hell or high water. Growing up in a desert I never had a pair of rain boots until I moved to Austin and my Grandmother gave me a pair. I LOVE them and wear them every time it rains. I had a pair while I was in Finland and wore them often but for some reason they never made it back with me. And if I'm going to be in Thailand durning the rainny season, and by rainny season I mean monsoons, I might as well bring rain boots :)

Happy days

Hi all,

I was at Sue's house yesterday and we purchased my plane ticket! It's official, I am going to Thailand! I will be leaving Albuquerque on August 15th at 6:30am and arrive in Bangkok on August 16th at 9pm.  I can't tell you how excited I am. Over the last month I have been making arrangements and to do lists for my up coming trip (I can tell you the lists keep growing and growing there is so much to do!), this trip is starting to become a reality. Its starting to sink in that I am actually going to Thailand for 6 months.

Sue and I also talked about a tentative schedule, and it looks like this:
I will be in Thailand August-the first of October.
Sue will fly to Thailand in October and we will travel to India together to see the school there (I might end up staying in Thailand, havent decided yet).
Sue (and possibly myself) will go back to Thailand after Christmas for a few days and then Sue and Jack (Sue's husband) will fly to Burma. I have been invited to travel with them, so that might end up happening but I wont make a descision until I get to Thailand.

We also talked about what kind of gifts to bring for the girls. Sue told me they are in desperate need of shoes for the girls. So instead of taking mostly books, I will be taking more shoes then books. Sue has given me several bags of shoes, I hope I have enough room in my suitcases!

I started the process for the shots that I will need yesterday, another check off a to do list. Some of those things are expensive! $300 for one that protects against a Japanese mosquito. I dont know if I've had Hep A or B so those will have to wait, but I did start my oral dose for typhoid fever last night. Not looking forward to the many shots I will have to get, the number is between 3 and 7 :p but I guess it must be done.

Next on the to do list is passport photos, visas.. Jack gave me a heads up that the visa forms are a pain to fill out and get processed, wish me luck!..and my computer (which is broken and needs to be fixed and/or replaced before I go.

Onward!

<3

Books

I have been brain storming good git ideas to take for the girls in Thailand. I want to bring something that is a decent size, not expensive, and is something that will help me connect with the girls. The best idea came from Sue. She suggested bring begging level children books. I think this is a fantastic idea. I will begin book shopping with in the next few weeks (I'm too excited to wait any longer!) What I would like to know from you all is what your favorite book was growing up. I know already that I want to take some Dr. Seuss books, the Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who etc. I don't yet know how many girls I need books for, so I'll start with twenty and go from there.

Also, Sue is coming to Austin on the 15th. We are going to get coffee together and talk face to face about everything, I am very excited to see and speak with her. Things are getting more and more real for me, though it hasn't 'hit' me yet (though the day can't be far away).

That's all I have for now! 

<3

The birth of the blog.

Here's a scecret. I've never blogged before, ever. Which, for a young adult in their twenties living in this day and age, is kind of surprising. I've read some pretty cool stuff and seen some really intresting blogs before, so I think I understand the basic workings of blogging. The purpose of this blog is to keep all the updates on my travel in one accessable place. Note: The blog will not be a substitute for hand writen letters (which a slecet few can look forward to receiving) or postcards (which most people can look forward to receiving).
Can't guarantee any mind blowing pictures, life changing posts, or the answer to 'the meaning of life' question. But I will do my best to keep you awake. I don't leave for Thailand for another few months. But I thought this would be the perfect time to get my blogging skills into tip-top shape. The few posts that will appear before my adventure begins in August will be somewhat dull; updates as I get them from Sue (get used to seeing this name a lot, learn it well. Sue is the woman who is making the magic happen), flight information, packing list, ect. Basically me getting used to the idea of writting here every so often.

Ok, that's all I have for now. Trying to put up a countdown, it's not going so well...