Sitting ... waiting ... wishing

I listened to some Jack Johnson earlier when I was trying to relax.

You see, the closer I get to this adventure the more excited I get and the more anxious I get to just go ahead and go.

My family is incredible - and their support is incredibly appreciated - but being in Atlanta for a week now... it's a bit rough around the edges for me.

There are no friends here, no responsibilities, and no work that leaves me with any kind of satisfaction or sense of accomplishment. I am ready for the next trip, the next check on the to do list.

Last week I got the yellow fever vaccine and malaria prescription off my list. 180 pills just for me. I am trying to imagine how strange it will be on the 181st day when I am through with malaria prevention and I stop taking those pills...

Today I get to feel somewhat productive by mailing out my student visa application. I finished all the appropriate forms and now I am off to get four more passport photos taken/printed to attach to each corresponding form.

A note on passport photos: ripoff of the century. If you are traveling anywhere through a program (such as mine) that requires multiple passport photos you will learn to despise the poor photo-counter kid who takes a terrible photo of you against the pull-down-white-screen off to the side of the disposable cameras - and then proceeds to charge you an exorbitant rate to print off baby Polaroid style photos that you have to attach to any and every form.

I think I have spent upwards of fifty dollars on passport photos from Walgreen's in the past three months. That is ridiculous. Pure, unfiltered high-way robbery.

So - on that note, I am off to Walgreen's to give away some more money I don't have.

ha! The price of travel I suppose...