Leaving Austin...

My visa arrived the other day, my tuition got paid today, I found out book information as well as sent my program director my flight itinerary. With less than 2 weeks to go this is really starting to become a reality. AH

The first realities that I must deal with, are however that I am leaving Austin in 2.5 days, and not heading back to WU. As I watch all my friends post updates about opening days, and move in I am tinged with nostalgia, the start of school the last two year has been exciting. I am going to miss all the fun that accompanies this return to normalcy, and catching up with my friends about summer and our separate lives. I am also going to miss making the 2000 mile drive with my Dad, road trips with him have become somewhat of a tradition and I didn't get one this summer. Change means I am growing up I guess.

I have to leave a job in Georgetown that I didn't like for a long time, but in the last month have grown to enjoy and make some great friends. I will miss the kids (and occasional adult) that I spent this summer working (and a lot of playing) with. I thank my friend and boss Stephanie for the wonderful opportunity and look forward to maybe coming back next summer. Thanks for everything everyone!!

While I work and in other free time I have made mental and physical check lists of things I need to do and take care of before september 2nd, but the one that I am avoiding is thinking about packing. It is such a daunting task, and one I will surely avoid until the last minute. Which will as usual cause over-packing. Maybe I can encourage myself to plan ahead this time.

My last thank you of this post goes to my room-mate and high school best friend Amar. Thanks for everything, for letting me live with you, for hanging out all the time, for introducing me to your kick-ass friends (I see why you love Austin so much) for cooking tasty dinners with me, and for introducing me to some awesome music. You have been a focal point of my summer. I love it and wouldn't have it any other way.

With that I close, and also want to say that blog writing is strangely therapeutic. This is coming from a girl who has NEVER kept a diary in her entire life.

Visa, and some preperation

About a week ago I took a day trip to Houston to get my student visa to allow me to stay in Italy for three and a half months. After a slight mishap with plane tickets, (which were later corrected and faxed) it was all taken care of and now I just have to wait for my visa to be processed and sent back.

I have about 2 and a half weeks left in Austin this summer, and man has that been an adventure in and of itself. It has been a blast and is passing way to fast. I still have so many things I want to do! After Austin I will be back home in Plano for about a week to wrap things up, and do little things: Haircut, dentist, packing ect.

Then off on my adventure to Orvieto, by way of 2 planes and 2 trains, I am starting to get a little nervous about setting off for a country where I only know enough of the language to order a drink, and maybe ask where the bathroom is, and a program where I know nobody. It will be like freshman year of college all over again.

I will miss my Willamette friends dearly they have grown to be my family over the last 2 years, and not seeing some for a while will be hard. Which is one of the reasons why I am writing this, too stay in touch. Also because I am terrible with real diaries, and picture taking, so I hope this will help me crystalize and really think about my adventures and travels.

Countdown to departure 25 days.

Until later
Jess