Tag Archives: Packing

I’m crazy.

I’m crazy. I’m actually certifiably nuts. Let me give you a little peak into the mind of an Emma, but you’ve been warned.

This story starts with me researching what I need to pack for my semester in Chile. This story ends with me looking up the Spanish words for asparagus and rape.

So I get back from work today and open up my computer. There’s an email from IES with the details for my new host family assignment (long story short…my original host family assignment has a cat and I recently discovered cats make my eyeballs feel like they need to be soaked in Selsun Blue). Along with my housing assignment was information on being picked up at the airport and a caveat to dress warmly due to the cold weather in Santiago recently.

Thought 1.) I should research what to wear. What do Chilean’s wear? Do I have to dress fancy? I don’t like dressing fancy? I like dressing like a slob. I’m a slob. I’m ratchet. I should shower. Meh, I’ll shower later.

I google what I should wear in Santiago, and after 2 truly grueling minutes looking at blogs written by the self-proclaimed tourist fashion connoisseurs of Chile, I come to one conclusion: Dress like a cake. Because in Donkey’s words, “Not everybody likes onions.”

Thought 2.) I really do love cake. Sugar is great. Maybe I should eat a cookie. Man, that cookie was delicious. Maybe I should work out more so I can eat more. Working out makes me sweaty. I’m gross. Ok, I definitely need a shower.

I hop in the shower and start mentally going through my wardrobe trying to think of layers for my cake outfit.

Thought 3.) Sweaters are good layers. Oooo my comfy purple sweater! But that looks like a Bill Cosby sweater. Do Chileans know who Bill Cosby is? What if I have to explain to my host family who Bill Cosby is? I don’t think I know the word for rape in Spanish. I need to look that up. My host family is going to think I’m crazy if I know the word for rape but not for something dumb, like asparagus. What if they ask me if I like asparagus and I say no because I don’t know what they’re asking me? Then I won’t have any asparagus! I do like asparagus. I like food. Maybe I should eat another cookie.

So here I am, writing this post to inform you all that the first 3 words on google translate for rape are la violación, la colza, and el estupro. Asparagus is el espárragos. There you have it. I’m crazy. And no, I have not decided yet if I’m going to pack my purple sweater.

Location: West Chester, PA

Vamos a…. Japan?

*Disclaimer*: I have been in Tokyo, Japan, for two weeks now; and, while this post was written before I arrived, due to the lack of free Wifi for desperate American college students to mooch off of, I was only able to post now.

As I sat in my Political Science class back in late February, I pondered the direction my future was taking. I was frustrated because I hadn’t yet heard back about my applications for summer internships (albeit prematurely), and my extreme lack of patience and my bad habit of thinking way too far into the future became a dangerous combination. So rather than listening to the ongoing lecture on the history of government formation in post-partition India (sorry, Professor) I decided to look into something totally unexpected: studying abroad. I closed down my Facebook homepage (again, sorry Prof.) and went over to the Global Studies site to think about studying abroad over the summer. From my brief research, I decided that studying abroad was the answer to all my questions, that Tokyo would be my destination, and that I could most definitely take on whatever this six-week excursion would entail. So, by the end of that same hour and fifteen minute class, I had begun the application and made the life-changing decision to go abroad (I promise that I do usually pay attention in class).

Spending six weeks learning the Japanese language in Tokyo was not how I expected to spend my summer. I had envisioned a typical summer: spending weekdays interning in an office and weekends relaxing at the beach at my hometown in California. I’ve spent my life growing up there, and my time abroad has only consisted school-sponsored and family short trips. On top of all that, I’ve spent the past nine years taking Spanish classes and am pursuing a Spanish minor at school. So, I began to think, “What business do I have in even going to Tokyo and trying to learn an entirely new language in a country I’ve never been before?” Other than my interest in global cultures as an International Relations major and my interest in Asia having had been to China and Korea before, I really didn’t have a connection to the place I was studying or even the subject I would be learning. I then decided then that the point of the program would be this: I would have a learning experience to take me outside of my comfort zone and beyond the borders of a typical classroom. Thenceforth, I used this as my mind set for my new adventure.

A short four months later I find myself here, two days away from my 11-½ hour flight across the Pacific. I sit surrounded by a pile of clothes, those freshly bought and old-time favorites, in an effort to discover what is considered appropriate attire for “plum rain season.” Alongside me is a first aid kit crafted by my mom so large that it would make UHS jealous in order to prepare for the bizarre lack of access sometimes to basic medicines in my host country. I am having to make the difficult decision as to which Penn State sweatshirt to pack as my Dad astutely advises me that with an average temperature of 80 degrees and high humidity, I won’t be needing all five of the ones I brought home. I switch between an overwhelming excitement in anticipation of this new experience and an immeasurable fear of a “What I have gotten myself into?” kind of way. Even though I sometimes look at my near empty suitcase as a metaphor for the unknown that comes along with living in a foreign country ( indeed, a tad dramatic), I keep reminding myself that my love of travel, language, and culture are what inspired me to make this journey in the first place. I can’t wait to eat the fresh sushi at Tsukiji fish market, to look over the Tokyo skyline from Tokyo Skytree, to shop in Harajuku, and to sing away at karaoke in Shinjuku. These are the things that are helping me to to pack because I know that while the unexpected that awaits me in Tokyo is daunting, I’m a million times more excited than anything else.

So now that my trip is looming near, the nerves that had been building have almost seemed to evaporate. For every worry that I think of, I think of three more things that I am excited about experiencing in Japan. I think of the food, the culture, the language, and the new friends and experiences that I am going accumulate while I am there, and I am beginning to get peace of mind. Even though I am nervous for this new adventure, I can’t help but be thrilled at what lies ahead. Hopefully I’ll have some great stories for Geoblog, and can help inspire others to take a leap just like I did (or at least get a laugh out of the tribulations I’m sure to incur with my nonexistent Japanese).

So, Sayonara America! See you in seven weeks, and let the adventure begin!
P.S. Please make sure that nothing happens to Chipotle while I’m gone!

Location: Orange County, California

Lesson One: Be Flexible and Think Quickly

Location: Elizabethtown, PA to Newark Liberty International Airport to Charles de Gaulle Airport, France, to Rabat, Morocco.

At 4:37 I was awake. Not because I needed to be; my train to the airport wasn’t until midmorning. I’d had a dream that I’d dropped my international credit card down some un-retrievable hole, so I was now wide-awake with worry. As if I needed more reasons to be nervous today.

My plan was to catch the train from the station in my hometown to Newark, then take a New Jersey transit train out to the airport with plenty of before my flight. I’d packed yesterday, fitting everything into my mother’s Australian backpacking backpack with plenty of room to spare, plus a few things into my normal backpack for the flight. The trouble was that I was not just going on the study abroad trip to Morocco. I’d also planned a backpacking trip in Spain, France, and England for afterwards, so anything I packed I had to be prepared to either leave behind or carry on my back. After careful consideration and a few strategic decisions, I figured out exactly what to take and how to pack it. All my outfits could be dressed up or down and wouldn’t wrinkle terribly, and I didn’t take anything that didn’t go with at least a few other things. Only three pairs of shoes and minimal toiletries; I can always buy stuff there. Even my mother, who has moved continents twice in her life, was impressed with me! I’m good. Score: Alice – 1 Trip – 0

10 weeks abroad, including backpacking in 5 different countries?

No problem

The morning passed quickly, with my dad insisting on making a huge omelette for me (though my stomach was feeling like it used to before cross country races) and my little brother relishing some video-game playing time with me, and we left for the train station with lots of time to spare. Pictures were required at the platform, and as well as many hugs from my brother. My parents had decided to spend the day in Philadelphia so would accompany me halfway. But that’s as far as the plan went, and this is where lesson one comes in. We hadn’t even gone two stops when I realised I’d left my medication to prevent Typhoid in the fridge at home. Crumbs. Score: Alice – 1 Trip – a mistake on such a magnitude counts for about 10

My first thought was to keep with the plan and I’d just get another prescription somewhere in Morocco, nervously confident that I’d actually be able to do this. But my parents were already figuring out when the next trains back towards Elizabethtown were, how long it would take to drive to Newark from here, and whether the price in gas was worth the price of medicines. Together we figured out that it was possible to get off at the next stop, take another train that would come minutes later back home, pick up my medicine, and drive to the airport. So that’s what we did. (Shout out to my parents for sacrificing their Sunday to drive me the 3 hours there and back, mercifully they were available to do this- it will not be so for the rest of my trip).

The rest of my journey to Morocco went very smoothly. Penn State once again demonstrated it’s massiveness when I found a girl who had been in my freshman French class on my flight to Paris, who was off to study in Aix-en-Provence for the summer. The Paris flight was like any ordinary trans-Atlantic flight; freezing cold, fitful sleeping, American in-flight food, although with some cool views out the window.

In Charles de Gaulle airport, I used some nervous French skills and found my gate, as well as another Penn State student and a few other students on my program (there are only so many flights to Rabat each day, it wasn’t a surprise to run into them). This plane was much smaller, with an absurdly French in-flight meal; a hunk of bread, some soft cheese, an orange tart, a warm cheesy-mushroom burrito thing, pasta salad (for some North African/Mediterranean flare) and some chocolate. (You’re going to get a lot of food photos, just a fair warning)

Our little group found our IES representative easily, and soon we were on our way to our hotel for the first night. It was hard to get a really good look at Rabat as we drove through, so I’ll save that for another post. What is worth describing through, was our group dinner that evening. We were driven to a restaurant and when we step out of the van a small group of Moroccan musicians in traditional dress and instruments start up this welcome song (I assume so at least, it was in Arabic). With their drums and tambourine and loud calls, soon the whole street was watching us as we stood outside the restaurant being welcomed. They were so happy and smiling and very welcoming. They’d invite us in to dance with them, shouting and beating the drums all the while. This lasted for a few minutes, and they started up again between the courses of our meal. WHICH WAS DELICIOUS BEYOND BELIEF.

The IES staff that dined with us didn’t tell us there was more than one course, so we were all stuffed full of the bread, lentils, pastry-wrapped meats, and various vegetable salads when we learned there was more coming; tanjine, peas, and a few other dishes I haven’t quite grasped the name of yet. All of the new flavours, combined with the wonderfully sweet mint/other herbs I didn’t understand the Arabic for hot tea. Dessert followed another round of singing and dancing in a circle, though at this point we were so knackered and stuffed that we lost our energy. All the same, they again escorted us out with another song. I was overwhelmed the whole time by their enthusiasm and joy at yelling/singing these minutes long songs multiple times through the evening. Everyone we’ve met so far has been friendly and inviting (even a random lady on the street who asked us if we were lost when we were exploring the area around the hotel earlier in the day). It’s very impressive.

It’s been so many long hours travelling, but I’m finally here and reflecting on the ups and downs of this marathon two-day journey, I can safely sum up this lesson.

When travelling, it’s okay to have a plan, especially when relying on transportation, but you always also need to flexible, creative, and open to every possibility should barriers, setbacks, unexpected circumstances, or even new opportunities arise. Yes you are away from the familiarity of home, but ways around whatever is in your way is not insurmountable, and often very easy to navigate. It just takes a little quick thinking, decisiveness, and courage.

Location: Rabat

Count down to Marrakech!!!

With a little blurb on Facebook in the morning saying my friend Victoria has tagged me in her status update about our upcoming trip to Marrakesh, did I realize that today is April 23, whooping two days before Victoria hits London Town and three days before we land in Morocco!! It’s going to be extremely action-packed 6 days, walking around in meandering souks and trekking in sand dunes!

This very thought alone gives me shivers! You have no idea how psyched I am to be visiting Marrakech. I even read a book about Marrakech–Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud (she is a great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud).

So far I have packed 4 T-shirts, 2 pairs of harem pants (I’m happy to travel to a place where not getting out of harem pants ever is perfectly justified!), one pair of jeans, 2 maxi dresses, one set of swimsuit, one pair of beach sandals, one pair of nude flats, a bunch of towels, one set of pajamas, one pair of Converse sneakers, 2 bottles of sunblock and one pair of sunglasses. I may also squeeze a black mini dress and a blazer for an outing at a casino but I’m afraid the dress will be too risqu� (it is a one-shoulder dress, not too tight but hits well above the knees). Or just forgo the said outfit altogether and stick to one of the long dresses.

I still haven’t finished packing but I’m pretty positive all of these can fit into a duffel bag but the bag will be so snag that it will not have much room for anything I end up buying there. So I’m contemplating moving my items into a suitcase instead to make room for souvenirs. But there is one problem: the suitcase is HUGE. When I’m standing up the suitcase hits a little below my hips (I’m 5 ft 4 in tall).

If anyone has been to Marrakech or anywhere else in Morocco, do you have any tips/advice on what to pack? Your help is greatly appreciated (:

Pictures will be posted on my Tumblr page (www.krazzykitty.tumblr.com).

Location: London, UK

Keep Calm and Travel On

“When I was young, I used to have this thing where I wanted to see everything. I used to think, ‘How can I die without seeing every inch of this world?'”– Leonardo DiCaprio

My name is Devon Santoro and I am a junior undergraduate at Penn State University majoring in Cultural Anthropology and History, and minoring in Sexuality and Gender Studies. I like to go to concerts, cook (eating is very much involved in this activity), read, and watch movies like most college students. This Spring, starting January 28th, I will be living and studying in Amsterdam with IES Abroad.

The anxiousness I have not felt, but was certain should have come weeks ago has finally hit me. My friends have departed to return to their respective universities a week ago, and family have long since used up their days off from the holidays. I can tell you that being home for so long has made me too comfortable with late nights watching Netflix, and even later mornings sleeping in and dreaming of Amsterdam. This recognition of my maybe-a-little-too-lax R&R makes me realize I am going to have to kick into high gear when my semester at Universiteit van Amsterdam finally starts. I’ve been packing little by little every night for the past week, but it has made no difference regarding the overwhelming experience of shoving my life into one rolling suitcase and a backpack. For those who will be going through this in the years to come, I will post a list of packing tips in my next entry after I get to Amsterdam so it will be more useful (and make me wish I had done some things different perhaps?). Instead, here are a list of things I am excited to do/see.

1. See the canals frozen over
2. Walk through all of the different markets in the city
3. See how far Dutch Rosetta Stone has gotten me
4. Visit the Keukenhof tulips
5. Have a drink at Brouwerij ‘t IJ, the windmill brewery next to Funenpark
6. Sit for hours at the Dam Square to read a book and enjoy my favorite pastime– people watching
7. Be spontaneous… but SAFE! (that last part is very important to note.)

Notice that nowhere on my list do I say the words “take a tour of”. Some tours were already planned for me by IES, but I don’t want to spend my time doing too many “touristy” things (although I will do my best to visit all the amazing sites the Netherlands has to offer). Therefore, I have not planned a single thing for when I’m over there. A friend who used to live in Europe gave me some great advice, which was not to spend time planning trips to other countries or even to other places in the Netherlands until I get there. She said that the best part of traveling is being accompanied by people who will be fun to travel with. Who wants a ticket to Paris, only to sit alone eating baguette? Not this girl. I am possibly the most excited about making new friends abroad. The only alone time I wish to have alone is when I am sleeping comfortably in my single apartment at Funenpark. Other than that, I want to explore and become as Dutch as I can be in the five months that I will be there.

Location: Washington, New Jersey (U.S.A.)

Awaiting my trip to India

Hey guys,

My name is Carolyn Vilardi and I am a student of Sociology and Human Geography at Penn State University. I have many passions and interests like human and environmental justice, vegetarian cooking, yoga, writing, and a bunch more; and I know that my study abroad experience will awaken new passions and enrich my journey as a student and global citizen.

I will be studying in Delhi, India for Fall 2012, beginning my junior year in mid-July. I am especially excited to experience a new culture and lifestyle, and although I have a few ideas and expectations regarding my trip, I realize that I will encounter many surprises.

I can’t wait to share more about myself and my encounters in India as I travel, study and interact in a new place. I hope my reflections evoke a new understanding and enthusiasm for our world. I am so eager to explore India; I already started packing!

Location: Home; Brooklyn, New York

I leave tomorrow!

First I have to say THON on to everyone at PSU! <3 FTK

It’s the day my flight and by now I have gone from nervous to just sheer anticipation. I just want to get there already and start meeting people and exploring the island. Many of my friends back in State College have been asking me how I feel and right about now I just want to be on that plane now! Today will be spent with my family, a classic dinner and family games farewell and I’m rather looking forward to it just so we will all be together.

Besides all that the biggest thing I’m dealing with right now is packing. I have tried really hard to get nearly everything to fit into the suggested one suitcase and ladies and gentlemen that did not happen. I ended up with 2 suitcases, 1 backpack and 1 carry on. I’d tried really hard to get everything to fit in one suitcase but then my mom reminded me of a few things I forgot and I ended up needing another. Nevertheless, I did get a few helpful tips from my family that did help save space. One is to put underthings and tank tops in zip lock bags, push the air out of them and then seal them. This makes them really flat so thus they take up less space. Like a space bag. The second helpful little tip for space saving is to roll shirts and pants (kinda like a hot dog.)

So my plane takes off around noon this Sunday and I will be there Tuesday our time but Wednesday there time (if I have that right.) What I really love is that the school sends a car to come pick me up at the airport so I won’t have to lug around my bags. I have no idea who my roommate is or when she will be getting to school so I’m pretty nervous about that too. To be honest I hope she’s a native so I can have my own guide but if she’s not then we can be lost together. Which reminds me of another really useful thing that the school does, there will be several mixers taking place for study abroad students to meet other study abroaders, advisers and natives that are willing to be our friends and help us out.

This brings me to the drinking age in New Zealand and how more relaxed the atmosphere around alcohol is in other countries. The drinking age for those who don’t know is 18 and they will actually be serving beer and wine at these school run functions. As someone who studies sociology I’m quite interested to see the dynamic of the room and how it will function with alcohol present.

I also wanted to mention how small this planet is! In doing this study abroad I have discovered that one LTC back at Penn State has a lifelong friend from the military that has lived in Christchurch for over a decade and he helped me contact him so I have someone to turn to if I need any help. I also learned that my next door neighbor’s wife was actually born and raised in Christchurch and that’s where they met. They go back there once a year and will be heading there the day after I leave. They offered to show me around a bit so that will be nice as well.

Lastly a word to travelers, I have recently learned that everything that can go wrong before the trip will and you will always feel like you have forgotten something. So far I’ve managed to have to deal with getting a flat tire and having to replace all my tires and my phone breaking last night (perfect timing.) And of course I will always feel like I’m missing something but as long as I have my passport I can get into the country and then buy whatever I’m missing.

But I digress. Hopefully I will have plenty to post about when I am finally in country and will have plenty of pictures.

Until next time my friends

Location: Fairfax Station, VA

Waiting for take off

(Me (left) and my friend Shay (right) at an Equestrian team dinner)

Hello Hello!

I spent a lot of time trying to decide what I wanted to post and if I would even post before I left the country, nevertheless, here I am. So I will start by telling my readers a little about myself!

My name is Ericka Roberts and I am a sophomore at Penn State University, University Park campus. The second part of my sophomore year will be spent at Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand. I studying Community, Environment and Development (a relatively new and little known major) with a specification in International Development. I am also studying Sociology (with a major interest in demography) and International Agriculture. Along with my studies I ride for the Penn State Equestrian team and absolutely love it.

It’s suggested that in the first entry bloggers talk about what they expect from their study abroad, preparation and all that. So I am just going to say that I am beyond nervous for this impending trip and going to the complete other side of the world! Don’t get me wrong I am so excited and I have been waiting for this for so long but nevertheless this is my first time traveling out of the country without my parents (who are both military, so we have lived all over the world) and both my brothers. It’s just a new feeling knowing you won’t have that support system when you come home, or just 4 hours away in the case of me going to PSU and being from Northern Virginia. But I know world travel is what I want otherwise I wouldn’t be spending my college career studying to get a job that has me do just that. This is just the first step toward getting used to that really being on your own in a foreign place feeling. I know I really want this. I am mostly looking forward to traveling all over both the islands, maybe even taken a flight to Australia, and learning about the Maori culture. That’s why I am trying to take at least a class or two on them hopefully through a sociology class. But really the more time I can spend outside exploring, hiking, and taking pictures the better.

The last thing I am going to address today is this packing fiasco. Like any other person my age I put my trust in Google to give me some advice on what to bring, what to leave and the major things not to forget. So far it’s been rather helpful besides the little tip I keep seeing about only bringing one suitcase of stuff and a carry on (not counting a purse)…this must be a suggestion for a man! You cannot tell a woman she should limit herself to one bag! What about all my jeans, skirts, swimsuits, dresses, suits, shoes, t-shirts, sweaters, pullovers, scarves, coats, shorts, workout clothes and anything else I require! I have to have options; I have to be ready for any fashion situation. One suitcase won’t cut it unless I make some serious sacrifices. Anyway, I will be sure to address it in my next post once I get to New Zealand (on the 21st of Feb.) and let everyone know how that went.

The next post will also hopefully also include a few pictures once I get to Christchurch (if I decide not to post until then) and will fill you all in on how the 25 hour flight went, my roommate and how the campus is in comparison to Penn State.

Until then,

stay beautiful everyone!

Location: VA, USA

Travel Tips, Mishaps, and Solutions.

I have decided that I will use this blog to help all of humanity; and by that I mean I am documenting my mishaps and using this for travel tips. You can all learn from my mistakes.

Travel:

Never in my life have I made it through the airport without being stopped. Weather it was accidently leaving scissors in my bag, or a “random” security check, I always get stopped.

This time, it was my suitcase.

TRAVEL TIP: Know the weight limit for your airline. There is a certain weight the bag cannot be above before you have to pay an additional fee. There is also a limit to how heavy your bag can be period, even with the fee; then you actually have to remove things from the bag.

My suitcase was over that limit. My bag closed just fine, (no getting siblings to lie on it so that you can zip it, that doesn’t count) it shut all by itself, still it was a large bag and I had to unpack and remove items before checking it. This resulted in 5 extra pounds of weight in my backpack and purse, an overstuffed carryon, and lots of funny pictures being sent to family members…

Clare got stopped AGAIN! Look!(…see above picture.)

Also, this over stuffed carryon lead to suspicious looks from security, and lots of back pain after 30 min.After all was said and done, my belt set the metal detector off. One more for good measure right?

Joking Travel Tips for Packing:

-Avoid packing heavy essentials such as shampoo and soaps.

-Avoid packing heavy shoes.

-Find the biggest bag you can and pack that, its less to carry! (Fact: the cost for extra weight is the same as the cost for an extra bag. Tip: just bring 2 bags.)

-If the bag will not shut, get a friend or sibling to sit and or lye on it while you zip.

If this goes not work, find a heavier friend.

-If you are a boy, pack your pockets in addition to your carry-on, be sure to wear a belt!

If your carry-on looks like mine, that is BAD, it most likely wont fit. If your carry-on looks like Lawrence’s (geo-blogger in Florence, and roommate at PSU) they you are GOOD!

Location: Rome, Italy

A Little Red Door

I can’t believe I’m only twenty four hours from being on a plane out of Chicago to Madrid! When I arrive in Seville, I’ll be meeting another girl from Penn State, dropping our stuff off at the hotel (which looks BEAUTIFUL, not to mention), and out to explore our home for the next four months. I’ve already been in touch with some locals who interact with abroad students, and if we’re lucky we’ll have some friends to show us around on our first day. The forecast says it’s going to rain, but if weather permits I’d like to walk around Santa Cruz by the Cathedral and go to Parque Maria Luisa and Parque de Espa�a. Of course, I’ll eventually see all of these places, but I’m already itching to get out and see the sights! At night we’ll go to Calle Betis, and Calle P�rez Gald�s, in Plaza Alfalfa, where all the bars and clubs are.

Among all the advice I’ve gotten from people about my trip to Spain, some of the most valuable has also been the least expected. I just met with a coworker of my mother, who has been to Spain a number of times and studied in Sevilla back in college in the early 2000s, and he gave me some great info about local culture. He said that if I explore the seemingly dull corners, nooks and crannies, and go a little outside the usual places that tourists and exchange students usually spend their time, I’ll find some of the most rich and vibrant aspects of Spanish culture. One of his favorite places was a flamenco dance spot hidden away behind a building with a little red door. Once I find these secret hideaways and underground flamenco joints, I’ll be sure to share details and photos 🙂

If I can’t find enough to do in Sevilla (which I doubt will be the case), or you’re curious, there’s this website with 85 Things To Do in Sevilla.

My dad’s friend Armando, who’s from Spain, also sent us this article about the cyclists and new green developments in Sevilla, which should be an interesting aspect of the otherwise mostly antiquated architecture and . It reminded me of the cyclists in Copenhagen that I wrote about in my last entry 🙂

The only thing I have left to do is finish a little (un)packing. I say unpack because on Monday when I stuffed my bags full of clothes enough to outfit a small army, I didn’t realize how heavy and excessive it would be. Lugging all that luggage is going to be a pain!! I also figure I might want to add to my wardrobe while I’m there, and I need somewhere to put the new additions! 😡

During the course of my trip, I hope to have many interesting and life-changing experiences, and look forward to discovering what’s behind all the “little red doors” along the way. There’s not much more I can do to prepare, so stay tuned for my first entry after arrival to hear about how it really goes! And of course, feel free to ask questions and make comments, I’d love to hear everyone’s feedback 🙂

Location: Té Cafe, Pittsburgh PA

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