Well I've gotten to the 'Set Up Blog' item on my To-Do list, so here we are. I wanted to set up a blog to document my experience abroad for several reasons - to serve as a helpful resource for would-be future travelers, to keep friends and family at home apprised of my whereabouts, and to have a portal to share any life lessons I pick up along the way with people who don't have the good fortune to go on a life-changing trip such as this.
Speaking of to-do lists, my current one (or three) give me a fair amount of anxiety. It's like that feeling you get when you're packing for a weekend getaway and you can't remember if you packed your bathing suit. Except you multiply that by 4 months, and instead of going to Destin you're going to a Spanish speaking country 5,000 miles away.
The to-do lists really break down into two categories - shit to do and stuff to bring. Luckily there isn't much that I could forget which isn't replaceable or unnecessary. I don't plan on taking many things...clothes and electronics mainly. I've tried to become less reliant on "stuff", which is far easier said than done, and I don't always practice what I preach. But the less time I spend on materialistic things, the more time I will have to fill with new people, new stories, and new experiences.
But I still feel like I have so much left to do before I leave. Luckily, after next week, I'll have 40 more hours per week to get stuff accomplished. Get my house ready to rent, find lodging, find work, sell my car, figure out health insurance, pack up my stuff, move my stuff...the list goes on. All the while still wanting to take this last month and spend time with friends and family that I'll miss dearly while I'm gone.
It's a lot to remember. But have no fear...I have to-do lists.