Off to the races!

I’ve been insanely busy trying to make sure that I have everything and that I’ve done everything I need to do before leaving and I’m still worried that I’m going to forget something important like advil or cold medicine. I even had nightmares about forgetting my passport and health card and being turned back as soon as the plane landed. Yes, yes, I look for ways to make myself crazy. I can’t help it!

But the funny part about all the craziness and my neurotic tendencies is that in spite of the nightmares about passports and things, I’m looking forward to living out of a backpack and staying in hostels again. I’m sure the fact that it was in the low teens when I took the dog out this morning has nothing to do with it. Neither does that big bruise on my hip that came from eating it on the sidewalk during that ice storm a couple days ago.  They are so not influencing my thought processes. Seriously.

My flight leaves around 6:30 and 23 hours after that I will be in Singapore. But no, I won’t be there on the first of the month. Even though my flight is only 23 hours (I know, only?!) I lose two days. As in, even though I leave January 31st, I get into Singapore on February 2nd. Insane.

So. I’ll be posting updates when I can, photos on Flikr (hopefully!) I have my phone (emergencies only please!) and I’ll be answering emails. If you have recommendations for places to see or stay I’d love to hear them so please post in the comments. In any case, I hope you enjoy reading!

Have visa, will travel

I got my visa for India (gah! so expensive!) and now that I have it sitting in my passport it’s finally sinking in that I will be leaving in two weeks for two and a half months. Granted, that’s not a very long time. But when I come back I have all of two days to get ready before I leave again for a wedding and another (shorter) trip so I’m trying to get things for that in place now. What’s really starting to freak me out in the “I’m so excited” sense is how much I still need to get done. I need to fill several prescriptions, find an outdoor store that actually carries mosquito netting, unlock my phone, cancel my gym membership since the next time I come back it’s only for three weeks before leaving again until September, and figure out how to pay my bills since my credit card for some reason refuses to let me set up automatic payments. Oh. And I need a return ticket. Yeah, that would be a good thing to do before prices go up again.

But I’m not complaining (much). I am excited. I’ve never been to Asia and I’m looking forward to it more than I’ve looked forward to something in ages. College was… not the best period of my life and it’s so nice to be doing something that I want to do and have some control over.

Fingers crossed I find some mosquito netting today!