Preparations

Here I am, still in Asheville, writing my first blog in preparation for my trip overseas in just over a month. This is my last week of working at the YMCA, after that my life will turn into one giant waiting game while I wait for my background check, visa issuance, and passport stamp. It reminds me of the Dr. Suess book, "Oh the Places You'll Go."

http://kcrg.mediacache.clickability.com/images/places1.jpg

"You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or a No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting."

I despise waiting. It's too inactive, too anxiety ridden (what if my background check doesn't come in on time? What if I don't get my visa stamped on time?), too much control in the hands of a governmental institution, and the mail process.
But no, as the Seuss states,
"Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying.You'll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing."

Ah, yes, Boom Bands. Speaking of Boom Bands,
My mp3 player broke today. One way I've been preparing for my trip is by getting all of my electronics in order, making sure they are working and have a suitable case/cover to keep them from damaging on the flight over.

I bought a nice new Cannon camera yesterday for the trip. And I thought I was all done with my electronics. Until I plugged in my MP3 and my computer refused to recognize it. I panicked, tried to reset it, and dug myself deeper into an technological nightmare. I started to panic even further with visions of my 14+ hour plane ride being even more miserable without the luxury of my favorite music to calm me down. I hate long international flights and I began to convince myself that not having my Ipod would ruin my entire flight.

Then my friend reminded me that having my Mp3 player break is a small problem pre- move given what could be my problem. So I remembered that it could be worse. I should worry about panicking if my visa doesn't go through, or something like that.

God, I hate our technologically driven culture when something as meaningless as a music player breaks and we convince ourselves that we really truly need these material things to make it through. It's a good wake up call to remind myself that I can live without it.

So I'll get over it, I've never been very materialistic...but man, I do love my Tracey Chapman and Coldplay when some kids are kicking my seat on the plane and the guy next to me won't shut up while I'm trying to relax.