Well, I’ve now (finally) been hit with the pre-trip jitters, and it’s not fun! It was okay when I had 3 months to go, then two, even one month was not bad, but now that it’s less than two weeks to go, it’s “done got real”!
So, making preparations for the trip was pretty easy, even keeping track of what I needed to prepare wasn’t hard, since I’ve done this a couple of times before. Plane ticket: check. Apartment: check. Camera and supplies: check. Insurance: check. Traveling money: well…
Did I mention the tip jar? Ah, well, I have a budget, and I’ll be using paid vacation time, so I guess I won’t starve, but…
(update: useless tip jar removed!)
One big thing I have to get straightened out is my medical/dental issue. I have a last-minute replacement of two front teeth which will happen 10 days before I leave, and I have to find out from some medical professional somewhere, just what the heck is going on in my jaw? I had the mega-pain from Hell over Labor Day weekend, and got antibiotics which knocked most of the trouble out, but neither my dentist nor TWO otolaryngologists can identify why my jawbone under the cheek bone is swollen. It aches a bit every so often, but my big fear is if it decides to come back when I’m overseas, especially if it starts on the plane. So, with the clock ticking, I have some pretty major issues that I have no control over resolving…
One thing I do have control over is preparing my apartment for major construction work while I’m gone. I talked to the rental office folks, telling them I’d be out of town for a month, and knowing they want to renovate apartments, I asked if they wanted to remodel the kitchen alcove and the bathroom. They agreed, and so once I get back (theoretically if nothing bad happens) I’ll have a newer-looking place, they’ll remove the 1970’s era cabinets and counter, redo the floor, new sink, new pipes, and a bunch of other stuff! Unfortunately, it means I have to empty my kitchen cabinets and move a lot of stuff out of the living room so they can use it for workspace. I say unfortunately, because I’m a major pack-rat, and I don’t have a lot of extra room. So, I have to get all this stuff cleaned up/stored/thrown away in the 11 days I have left before the plane takes off. However, I also have to put in a full day’s work as well, which cuts into my time.
Then there’s sleep time. Hm, maybe I can get by with only two or three hours per night. I’m sure the psychosis and hallucinations won’t be that bad…
^==^