and the traveling begins...

I figured since I won’t see snow in about 8 months, I should probably document it so I remember how ridiculous it is.

Yesterday, it took me approximately a half hour to de-ice my car. That was when I realized how thankful I was to be going to a place where it’s summer-then I checked the weather for February 3rd; 113F! That, my friends, is not summer. That is DEATH! I wonder if I’ll be able to inhale, major weather shock. Also, major time shock. I’m pretty much relying on bon iver, the decemberists, and Tylenol® simply sleep. Also ‘On The Road’ by Jack Kerouac.

Not much has happened since my last post—except I’m not really scared anymore. A little nervous but now I’m more excited. I could just be really chill right now because I just had an acupuncture appointment. 1 needle in my forehead, one needle in my left ear, needles in my hands and feet. I’m so calm because of it.

Sidenote: IF YOU’RE READING THIS AND HAVE SKYPE, LET ME KNOW!
I want to keep in touch with as many people as possible.

I’m on the masspike with my mom driving to boston right now.

Then tomorrow I head to LA, and on Sunday, I head down under. Once I finished packing, I finally realized it was actually happening. Until then, everything just seemed far off, like it wasn’t actually going to happen. The actual concept of Australia seemed so foreign to me until yesterday afternoon after I zipped up my two suitcases. That was when I actually got sad. Chris came over lastnight and I had to say goodbye, which was terrible. I didn’t want the night to end, but it eventually had too. I’m glad I got to spend my last night at home with him.

I’d also like to point out that Australian money is so much prettier than American money.

Alright, my laptop’s about to die, so I should get going. I’ll post pictures of boston when I get there, and LA.

…and of course, the beautiful country of oz.

UPDATE:

i'm in boston with elyse and my parents. final night on the east coast =)

i'm scared.

only child.

my sister alena left for washington this morning. i am officially an only child.

it's weird, it's never just been my parents and i. my dad is leaving tomorrow to meet alena in DC and go to the inauguration. my mom and i are apparentally not as cool and are going to watch it on tv.

wisdom teeth removal is almost healed--thank god! for awhile there, i looked like i was playing chubby bunnies.

CAN YOU BELIEVE I LEAVE SO SOON?!?! crazy, someone needs to pinch me now. i'm pretty excited, but i still have ALOT to do before i leave--like...pack. which is pretty important. i'm allowed to bring two suitcases, one carryon, and one personal item (which is the guitar, obvs.)

i have a feeling i won't see alena for nine months. she's going to peru this summer and she leaves before i even get back from oz. not sure when she gets back from peru to go to school but hopefully i will see her before thanksgiving--that would be ideal.

i have a feeling i'll see elyse again before i leave since she only goes to school an hour away.

jess is all the way out in ohio, but i'll see her this summer unless she goes to colorado.

it's weird, everybody is leaving to go back to school and i'm not-kind of an unnerving feeling. i sometimes  feel like i've been home for so long that i'm moving back in and not going anywhere. that feeling usually goes away when i see the huge amount of luggage patiently waiting in the corner of my room.

i leave in 13 days. insane.

ouch.

the next couple of posts will be filled with overdramatic nonsense.

i think i am dying.

ha okay fine, it's not that bad at all but i got my wisdom teeth out yesterday.
i'm also ridiculous and have ruled out all hardcore pain meds, like vicatin.

i'm surviving on apple sauce and ibuprofen.

i mean, it sucks, but it's definitely not as bad as i made it out to be in my head. i went in yesterday and was FREAKING out. there were two nurses there and the oral surgeon and i basically was so nervous about getting knocked out that i was swearing and crying and acting ridiculous. the surgeon was like "if you fight the anesthesia, then it will not be a good experience. the last thing i remember saying was "i'm so scared" and then one of the doctors was like, "you're on a beach" and i was GONE.

i woke up an hour later with a mouth full of gauze and i honestly felt so high it was GREAT. those drugs are amazing, let me tell you. the oral surgeon said it was a pretty routine procedure. in fact, just taking ibuprofen makes a difference, especially with the swelling. i have a little bit of a headache right now, but i'm thinking that i just need sleep.

did i mention that i only got like, three hours of sleep? i'm not good sleeping on my back with my head propped up, and i woke up to change my ice pack like, three times. yesterday i was in less pain than today, only because i routinely took my ibuprofen, but now since i didn't take it any time during the night, it may take awhile to kick in. i just took it 15 minutes ago and it seems to definitely be helping.

i'm just the type of person that likes to "do shit" as i keep telling my parents. that does not include lying around doing nothing, but my boyfriend came over and kept me company yesterday which was SWEET. and my sister is here, too, so she'll be able to hang out with me. the swelling isn't all that bad, only swollen on one side, so maybe i'll actually get to leave the house tomorrow or today? i definitely will keep taking it easy, though.

right now, it's 7:40 AM, and i've been up for about an hour. my parents woke me up to see how i was doing, which is wicked nice of them. i really really want to shower but i don't think i can yet, i don't want to like, get shampoo in my mouth or anything, that would suck haha. i can definitely open my mouth wider then i could yesterday, and i can smile (sort of) so i guess that's good.

i'll probably pop in a movie and end up falling asleep. PEACE.

minor freak out

it's just that my life is so good right now that i can't imagine picking up and leaving it. 

i know that this experience will change me for the better--i'll be more independent and i'll learn a lot about myself, but sometimes i feel like right now is not a good time.

i don't want to leave my friends and my family and my boyfriend.

yesterday, one of my best friends, katie, went back to UVM. i won't see her until june. My friend Laura left, too, and because she's graduating, i have no way of knowing when i will see her again. And my sister, jess, went back to ohio. she's planning on going to colorado this summer, and if she gets accepted, she'll be leaving while i'm away. the gang of four (my sisters and i) will not be together again until thankgsiving break in november...

alena leaves on the 19th, and she's going to peru. all of my friends are leaving and going back to school and i have to be here freaking out on my own.

i'm also getting my wisdom teeth out day after tomorrow--great.

the only thing that makes it better is the fact that i still have a good three weeks to get ready and be with as many people as possible. until i leave, i will enjoy every experience. also, ten more days until obama's inauguration. SO EXCITED.

i know i will be okay with everything and that australia, in time, will fall into place. it's a huge opportunity and i know it will be incredible. it's the building up to the departure that is freaking me out.

until then, peace.

twenty two days

remember way back when i began counting down the days until australia?

well, it's gone from 72 days to 22 days!

i cannot believe how quickly time flies.

since being home, i've kept myself pretty busy. since i'm an education major i need to do 40 hours of observation. the 40 hours were supposed to be done by the end of last semester but my CORI report took forever to go through and i started late--so here i am finishing off the last of my 18 hours at reid middle school working in my moms classroom. it works out pretty well, actually. after today i will have 11 more hours to do. i'll finish them off by next tuesday--thank god because on wednesday, i will be getting my wisdom teeth out; something else i'm really really not looking forward too.

my sister alena had two friends up from maryland. kevin and grace are awesome and it's gotten me pretty excited to have my friends come up for the weekend. this afternoon, hills (the infamous roommate) and my friend mal will make the trip to western mass. my friend laura is also coming, and hopefully my friend talia will round out the group. i'm looking forward to what's going to be an incredible reunion. I CAN'T WAIT.

this will be the last time i see laura and talia before i head down under (but i'll be seeing talia in australia come late june, so i'm psyched!) Jess and Alena are heading to NYC tonight and Elyse is at UMASS but come saturday night, all of my sisters will be home. The yarm farm is going to be crazy, let me tell you.

Alright, well homeroom is done so I should probably get going.

Hopefully I'll have a bunch of pictures from this weekend to show.

Until then, Peace.

so

the one month departure date has come and passed. it's CRAZY.

i bought my luggage the other day, which is weird. i also bought a couple more bathing suits (or swimmies, as they call it down under).

My sister Elyse left for school yesterday. It's weird, I knew everyone would be leaving before me, but I didn't expect it to come this quickly. It feels like I just got home for some reason.

Since being home I've pretty much kept busy. I worked at Camp Jewell for the new year. I've been hanging out with friends and the boy, and i've been really enjoying myself.

The closer february first gets, the more excited I get. I'm also EXTREMELY nervous, to say the least, but I'm pretty sure that's normal. I mean, I am going as far across the world as possible, and I'm going alone, so nervous is a bit of an understatement.

I'll work through that, though.