Packing Progress.

Still no word from my travel agent or the Air France rep, since the travel agency is closed on weekends. Juuust peachy.

So, despite all my despairing of yesternight, I decided to tackle the packing challenge again. This is what my room looked like in the midst of my attempts:

Basically, all the suitcases threw up everything all over my floor. The one empty space in the middle is where I sat to try to sort through things. My desk chair holds the if-there's-room-(which there isn't)-pile.

Hours later, guess what? I did it! I managed to pare and condense everything to where I was able to make everything fit into the one large suitcase and carry-on.

I was quite impressed, amazed, and proud of myself. I even was able to close the expandable zipper part of the larger luggage!

So, one part of the challenge accomplished. Now, the tough & tricky part: meeting the weight limits.

Check-in limit: 50 lbs
Carry-on & personal item combined limit: 26.5 lbs

US Airways actually has the limit for the carry-on stuff set at 40 lbs, but Air France is stupid and has the limit set at nearly half as much, even though the size limits are pretty much the same. Apparently Craig has been through Paris before though, and said they didn't check the weight limit. Like his mom said though, I don't wanna make that assumption and then later on be forced to check-in my carry on b/c it's too heavy or something. That would be super uncool.

The latest weight measurements I got so far are around 52.2 lbs for the check-in bag (initially 55, which I still considered not bad.. I was expecting like 70, haha), 24.2 lbs for my carry-on, and roughly 15 for my laptop bag. I've done a little more adjusting since, but not enough. I may leave this for another day, and simply rest on my accomplishment of actually being able to fit everything inside the bags. If, come Monday or Tuesday we find out that we can pay for and through-check another bag during online check-in, I may still choose that option to avoid cutting out even more stuff and overweight fees.

Inception & More on Packing.

Today we finally saw Inception! With all the hype that I've heard about it, I was not disappointed. I really liked it, while my family and Fields were more kind of like, eh. My sister attributed it to my math-yness, which I guess could be kind of true, it may have helped me follow the plot through all the layers and steps and such. Even though it was a two and a half hour long movie, I was entertained the whole time; it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat! The story was engaging, enthralling, and definitely original. I've decided that I like the paradoxical movies that really make you think and keep you on the edge of your seat, so long as it doesn't leave loose ends, so the storyline is wrapped up nicely and I'm not left wondering, Well, what about this? What happened there? Why did it go about like this and not like that? I hate when movies do that. But anyhow, basic point: I thought Inception was epically awesome, and I totally wanna watch it again to see anything I might've missed this first time :)

Update on the packing situation.. well, it's not really going all that well. We still haven't gotten a reply from the Air France rep to confirm that we can pay for a second bag in advance, through online check-in, which would then let us check it all the way through from BWI to Turin, according to the inter-airline baggage agreement between US Airways and Air France, since it'd be paid for. Since we don't have confirmation yet, my plan was to try to pack everything into one larger suitcase and a bigger carry-on, right? That way I wouldn't have to pay the baggage fees on the way over, but if I needed an extra bag on the way back, I'd only have to pay them one way.

That was the challenge, and I was actually feeling some ambitious determination about it. I was ready to take on the challenge and even be impressed with myself if I could actually do it. So, I tried today, took out some clothes and such that I figured I could do without, started moving them into the one bigger suitcase... Man, did that space fill up fast. I found that I was able to get all the clothes into the bags, but my shoes, toiletries, and hair appliances? No such luck.  It's definitely the shoes that makes it super tough.. there's just no space for them!

I admit defeat. I need a second bag. I can't keep cutting stuff out and just buy everything in Italy, I've already made so many expenses in trying to get ready. My plans were to have practically everything I'd need to sustain myself in Italy so that my expenses would mainly consist of food outside of the provided meals, souvenirs, and laundry detergent and softener. So if I could have the two bags like I originally had planned and set stuff aside for, that would be fan-freaking-tastic.

I could definitely pack for like, one entire month in a single suitcase, no problem. But three and a half? I wish, but it's just not realistic. :( Especially with needing different clothes for different seasons and all that. I'm sure glad I'm not going during the Spring semester, cuz then I'd definitely need more cold weather clothing, and there's certainly not room for all that.

So I know I'm being repetitive, but this is just so not cool. I'm trying to keep my stress levels low, but it's definitely been fluctuating today. I just need to know that I have the option of bringing a second bag, despite the cost.

Seriously, Air France dude, how long does it take to respond to an email and confirm a policy that's listed on your website?!?? 

Sigh. I guess I will just have to see what tomorrow (well, today since it is almost 1am) brings. 

8 more days.

*gulp*

Packing Pursuit in a Pickle.

I fly out in ten days. TEN days! Tomorrow, the countdown will be in the single digits!

I've been progressively packing for the past two weeks or so, and feeling pretty good so far about my thought-out planning and preparations.

This is my current packing status. All that's missing from the stuff laid out is basically underwear, tank tops, and bathroom stuff I'm still using.

So what do I find out this morning?

I can check in not two, but one, only one, single, 50-pound bag.

Not cool.

Ironically, the current song on my
randomized play all music list at the
moment is "Into the Airwaves" by Jack's
Mannequin, and I'm hearing these words
as I repeatedly keep forgetting to breathe:

So hold on, it's gonna be a hard day
So hang on, now, don't panic
Don't panic, there simply is no need

It's gonna be a hard day
It's gonna be a hard day
Don't panic, don't panic
We are hanging here
We are hanging here
 

Maybe this is God's way of telling me that things are going to be okay.

And I believe Him. It's true, things typically turn out okay. That doesn't mean that these aren't still unfortunate circumstances, though. Here's the long and the short (well, mostly long, with the way I explain things) of it:

My flight is with three other students, and we booked through a travel agent. To try to get cheaper airfare, they booked two separate flights - one thru US Airways to get us to Paris, and then from there we fly Air France the rest of the way to Turin. The two airlines have an agreement to check bags through from BWI to Turin, but the thing is, only one bag is paid for with the airfare. The issue is that a second bag for Air France cannot be paid for at BWI; it must be paid for in Paris, which means we'd have to reclaim it, probably go thru customs, and pay for it and recheck it in during our layover in Paris. Our layover is 3 hours long in Paris though, which I would think might be enough time. Another issue, though: in my researching both airlines' websites and going to the travel agency myself to speak with the agent who booked our flights, I learned what the extra baggage fees are for both airlines. Initially I was told that US Airways would let us take two bags free, but apparently their policy has now changed. The second baggage would cost $50 to US Airways and 55 euro (or $70) to Air France, and that goes both ways, meaning that's basically an extra $240 in like, hidden fees that we were not aware of when we booked this flight. So. flipping. LAME. 

While we did get an $1100 airfare stipend from the school, the airfare price and those extra baggage fees would mean that we'd be spending like $400 out of pocket, on top of tuition to St. Mary's, plus the Alba program fees. I just don't think I can justify that as being worth it, man. I'm thinking I'll just work on condensing all of the stuff I've already got laid out and bring a single larger luggage and hopefully a larger carry-on that still meets both airlines' size limits. It's going to be quite the challenge, especially putting into consideration the fact that I'm a pretty light packer, so all the stuff I've already laid out I consider to be things that I definitely want to bring. Sigh. 

Looking at the bigger picture though, regardless of this bit of a snag,

I'M STILL GOING TO EUROPE! :)

And that's what matters. I am still going to have the experience of a lifetime, even if I have more limited belongings with me. I've still been given such a great opportunity, and I intend to make the most of it. I'm trusting that God will take care of me, through whatever other obstacles I come across and no matter what happens.

Wish me luck. :)

Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Man, finally coming up on the end of this 30-day blog thing. I think I'm the only one who's actually going to finish it, it kind of seems like the others have forgotten about their notes that they started on Facebook :P

So. Hopes, dreams, and plans for the next 365 days. Well, I have 15 days now until I leave for Italy (!!), and then after that the next 102 days aim to be spent traipsing around Italy and the surrounding European areas (!!!!).

My plans for this time frame are to pack, of course, which is turning into a kind of artistic challenge in itself. Little by little I've been adding to my piles of things to pack, and it is becoming ever-increasingly difficult to find room to fit everything in. I have most everything set aside except for my pants, PJs, underwear, and toiletries, since I'll still be using those in the next couple weeks here. Already space is quite limited, so I'm trying to approach my packing strategically - I know, I know, I'm overthinking and overanalyzing the packing situation, but I want to be prepared! Lol. - I have two suitcases, + a laptop bag and a carry-on, which I'm thinking at this point will be a small duffle rather than a backpack so I can fit more clothes in. In one suitcase I aim to fit all of my toiletries (I'm bringing enough stuff that should tide me over for at least a month, so when that's all used up I'll have that space to bring stuff back :] ), purses, probably all the bigger clothing items like coats, jackets, and sweaters, and my heavier shoes. All my shoes (and socks packed into the shoes) I'll be able to fit into the outer pockets of both suitcases, which I'll admit, I'm pretty proud of :P In the other suitcase I'd like to be able to fit practically all of my clothing, which is definitely going to be quite the obstacle. Stay tuned to see how that turns out as September 5th looms closer.. :S

No definite plans as of yet for after I get to Italy, but certainly a fair amount of hopes and dreams. I hope to be blown away by the concept of finally making it to Europe, and the beauty of God's handiwork in that part of the world. I hope to adapt fairly quickly and easily to the new and unknown environment of being an ocean away from home, family, and loved ones.. not sure how realistic that hope is though, I'm sure it's going to take some definite getting used to. I really really hope that I can make a good group of friends in the other students that are going, considering we're going to be the core community we'll all be hanging out with over the course of those 3 1/2 months. I dream of being able to see a lot of sights not just in Italy, but all over; I'm trying not to get my hopes and expectations up too high, but it's all just so exciting! I'm definitely dreaming of getting to make the most of any travel opportunity that comes my way and gaining the experience of a lifetime from one semester, and coming home an enlightened person. :)

After the next 117 days, I will be a college graduate! Insanity!
But, that still leaves 248 more days for me to relay hopes, dreams, and plans.

Since I'll be a graduate, I hope that I'll be able to find a full-time job fairly soon. I've been keeping in contact with some recruiters from NAVAIR that come to campus last sem; I wasn't eligible for the position they were looking to fill at the time since I wasn't a May 2010 grad, but hopefully something will turn up come December. I plan to keep emailing them even while I'm abroad so that hopefully there might be something lined up when I get back.

Other than that, I dream of moving out of my parents' house and getting out on my own once I've saved up a bit from a full-time job. There's absolutely nothing wrong with living at home, it definitely does have its advantages, but I feel like I can be more independent and self-sufficient out there on my own. Here at home, it's easy for me to slack off and not do things for myself because my grandparents like to take care of the laundry and the dishes since they're home all day anyway, and my parents pay all the bills, buy all the groceries, and do all the cooking. I'm sure we could talk things out and make some kind of arrangement for me to take care of some more things on my own, but in all honesty I kind of just want a good shove out there into the "real world" so I'll be forced to do all of these things on my own, instead of having the possible option of slacking off or something.

So, what does the next year hold for me? All kinds of excitement, changes, and big steps, for sure, but as for the specifics and details? Only time will tell. :)

Day 27 — This month, in great detail & Day 28 — This year, in great detail

Day 27 — This month, in great detail

Great detail? I do get to typing a lot but, umm... Yeah, I don't feel like it this time. Highlights of this past month included hitting the two-year mark with  my boyfriend, taking a relaxing (albeit short) trip to beautiful Virginia Beach, and hanging out with my girlies :)

Day 28 — This year, in great detail

I can write a little bit more about the entire year :)
So, man, 2010. It's gone by so quick! I can't believe it's already August; it certainly doesn't feel like it's already been 8 & a half months since the new year. The beginning of the year entailed a 5-course semester consisting of Algebra II, Analysis II, Sensation & Perception, International Economics, and Money & Banking. May saw the end of the most grueling and time-consuming semester of my life, but I was rewarded with straight A's for all my hard work :D That semester also completed my math major and economics minor, which is pretty darn awesome. Should be smooth sailing school-wise from here :) June saw my 21st birthday, spent relaxing with my boyfriend during the day and going to dinner and a Kennedy Center show in the evening. I had my first few alcoholic drinks in the following week and found that there isn't really anything yet that suits my fancy. Mid-June to mid-July saw a trip across the world to the Philippine Islands for some quality family time and utter relaxation on the beaches of Boracay.  Now yet another month has gone by since I've been back from the Philippines, and I'm getting in all the hangout time I can before jetting off across the ocean again (the Atlantic this time) for Italy! Crazy crazy crazy. So excited! and nervous. But mostly excited and anxious! :D

3 weeks!

Packing Pursuit

So I started packing today..

I'd say it's going pretty well so far..

That's everything!

Well. Except for my heavier jackets for winter, pants, shorts, most of my t-shirts, tank tops, toiletries, hair styling appliances, shoes, purses, socks... hmm. I have one more suitcase of this size I can fill, both with a limit of 50 pounds.

This could be quite the predicament.

24 days!

Day 26 — Your week, in great detail

Well, I've already blogged fairly frequently this week, so I don't see a need to reiterate the week's events in great detail.

The excitement of the past week consisted of perfect weather, chilly ocean waves, and scalding hot tubs in Virginia Beach over the weekend, an epically fun game of Ultimate on Thursday, and being on the same wavelength as my buddie Kirsten during our movie night on Friday. "Dude, I was just about to say the same thing!" (Repeat like 6 times. :P)

This coming week may be fairly busy:

Today (Sunday) I have to meet with Uncle Rhoel and another Fil-Am Auntie to discuss the website since I'll be abroad in the fall, so it'd really be more practical to have somebody else manage it who's in the area and actually more involved with the organization, you know?
Monday I'm going shopping with Kirsten and Jessica after work and taking my sis to her ortho appt. I think the objective is to find cute sundresses, but I usually just browse and see what catches my eye and see if the price agrees with me. I'm looking to find some simple, cute stuff to wear in Italy (since apparently the Italians are more fashionable.. eep!). Will need to try to keep myself to a budget though.
Tuesday night, as per usual, is Bible Study.
Wednesday I believe the plan is to get our work crew from when Laura was working at the store together for a dinner gathering at Olive Garden. The time hasn't been set, soo we'll see if this actually happens.
Thursday, if the regular schedule persists, should be another awesome game of Ultimate Frisbee :)
Friday my man comes home from travel, so I'll prolly hang out with him in the morning/afternoon (taking advantage of the neighborhood pool perhaps?), and then that evening is Kirsten's birthday party! Always a good time :) Note to self: Wrap Kirsten and Ashley's birthday presents at some point this week.
Saturday entails a wedding! I don't actually know the couple, I'm just accompanying Fields, but I love weddings. So much happiness to go around :)

I may also try to find time between all of those activities to start packing for Italy this week. 4 more weeks!

Knockout Naps.

I love naps. I love sleep in general. :)

But I need to stop taking knockout naps, haha. I lay down for a bit of a nap, and I pass out. Then I don't wake up until like two hours later, at which point it feels like I've slept too much; my contacts are stuck to my eyes if I slept with them in, and blinking rapidly to try to put them back in place only produces more blurriness; my hair's all fluffed up around the top and kinda matted on the side or in the back, and sometimes, if I got into a really really deep sleep, my joints will be stiff from sleeping in one position the entire time. Then I walk around in a too-rested stupor for a good half hour to an hour after waking up, stumbling around like a half-conscious zombie.

It's no good. It may damper my ability to fall asleep later at night. Buuut it's not going to stop me from taking more naps in the future. They're just too irresistible. :P I mean, come on, everyone knows how hard it is to not succumb to sleepiness, right?

Lol, I wanted a nap picture to go with this blog, and this is what I came across. I love Garfield. :)

Ultimate High.

So you know that feeling you get, that rush right after you've had an absolute blast with good friends and still have a bunch of energy and laughter left over and you're just enveloped by joy and smiles? Yeah, I got to experience that today :)

We play Ultimate Frisbee pretty much every week during the summer, and it's great, because it's pretty chill, we're not strict on rules, just out to have a great time. We were scheduled today to play at 6pm, but a glance at the weather earlier today revealed a Heat Advisory and Severe Thunderstorm Watch or something like that. I went out anyway, because I know we play rain or shine. Around 545pm, the water is pouring down, practically torrential. It's coming down so hard that I've got my wipers on the third setting, where they're whipping so fast across the windshield you'd almost think they were ready to have a seizure. Even so, the water was still coming down way too fast for that to be of any use, so I pulled into the LBC church parking lot for refuge to wait it out.

I was there all of 5 minutes, just listening to the new CD I bought (Jonas L.A. Soundtrack... I know, I know, but what can I say? I'm a total Disney Channel dork :] ) and watching the water flow outside my windows. Then this bright spot of light breaks through the clouds to my left, seemingly shining down right on me.

 
Then, ironically enough, the song playing on the CD starts saying

I've been saving my love for a rainy day, oh yeah
And I've been looking for a twist of fate

Then out of the blue, you came
You shine a little light on a cloudy day
Baby, you could make
A broken heart go away
I'm not gonna lie
This feeling inside, I can't explain
I'm gonna blame it on the summer rain

It was pretty much perfect, and a really cool moment. The spot got brighter and bigger as the rain started to let up, and it was strangely comforting considering I was in a church parking lot and had been saying little prayers asking God to keep me safe. :)

So I made my way out of the parking lot with the sun now shining brightly through the clouds. I reached the frisbee field, and it was still raining, but there were already like three other guys there tossing the disc around, and two more came not long after me. Since there were only a few of us, we couldn't play a full game with a full field and two end zones, so we played the version with the square end zone in the middle. Of course they had to put the square smack dab in the middle of the biggest puddle on the field, haha. It was very wet and squishy and splashy and awesome. I played with my cleats for a bit, but gave up after awhile and just played barefoot, which wasn't bad at all. We all had a great time running, splashing, and slipping and sliding in the water like little kids :P

Then three more people came, and we were able to play a full game with 5 vs. 4 people. Everybody was in good spirits, the teams were pretty balanced, and it was a fantastic game. I dropped quite a few, but overall I thought I did pretty well. There was one where Tenney was all the way across the field, and I ran to our end zone and called to him, waving my arms like a madwoman for the disc. I didn't think he'd actually do it; I was half-joking, and I kind of figured I could be a bit of a distraction to the other guys on the defensive team. He threw it, beautifully, straight across the entire length of the field, and I was like, "Oh snap, you really did it!" so I ran and caught it perfectly! It was awesome. We ended the game by playing to three, and that was the first of our three points. We "won" in the end, although of course we hadn't really been keeping score the whole time.

All in all, it was such a great time, and I had a lot of fun. We finished up just as the clouds were getting dark again, so we headed home pretty soon after. I was slightly worried another torrential downpour might start up while I was driving home, although it's not like I would get wet or anything since I park in our garage. Either way, the clouds were nice enough to wait to break loose til I was home with my car parked safely in the garage. I got out of my car and started unlacing my cleats so they could dry out in the garage, and I opened the door leading outside to wring some water out of my socks, when it started pouring. I was like Wow, perfect timing! God kept me safe and got me home without any problems.

Basically, today was awesome, and God is awesome. :)

One month!

30 days! 4 weeks! ONE month!

Oh my lands, that is insanity.
Today, the excitement is overshadowing the nervousness.
But overall, there's still that feeling of utter disbelief.

In one month, I will be traveling across the ocean to live for three and a half months out of two suitcases away from home, with like 20 other people I have yet to really meet and get to know, exploring wondrous places I have never been to. So crazy...


.. Crazy AWESOME! :D

Anxiety & Trust.

33 days until Alba! Yikes!

I'm getting super nervous, I'll admit. There's definitely excitement as well, but I guess what I'm nervous about is the people. I don't really know anybody on the trip, and since we'll be pretty much the primary people we hang out with for those 3 1/2 months, I'm really hoping I'll make some good friends, or else it's going to be pretty lonely. 

I started to let my worry build up to the point where I started freaking myself out thinking about the worst case scenario, so at that point I just reminded myself that I just need to trust that God will take care of me. I took to my bible and looked up trust in the index to find a verse that I could use to calm myself.. most didn't apply, but Matthew 6:34 says

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Kirsten also referred me to Jeremiah 29:11, which I've seen many times before, but it was good to be reminded of:

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

So I just have to take things one day at a time, and not worry so much about what I don't really have control over. Times like this always make me think back to Pastor Dooley's sermon at one of the services I went to at LBC where he said something like 80% of the time, people worry about things that they don't have control over, so what's the point? My boyfriend always shakes his head when I get into worry fits like this; all this energy spent worrying amounting to nothing, because things usually turn out just fine. Maybe this time I can try worrying a little less and just enjoying my life's blessings one day at a time, taking any obstacles that may come my way in stride. Here's hoping. :)