It's Almost Time

It's insane and I'm still having trouble believing it.  In less than two weeks I will be boarding the MV Explorer, and embarking on the craziest, most amazing trip of a life time.  Tuition covered, babysitting and birthday money saved up, in-country trips are either planned, paid for, speculated about, or purposely left to wing, and I still can't believe that I actually have this opportunity.  It's unreal.

The next step? Packing.  And in order to pack I must clean my room so I can find the items I want to pack.  My room at home as the unfortunate habit of consistently looking like it was ravaged by a tornado, or something similar, so this is a feat that is taking some time and an certain amount of dedication to cleaning that I just don't think I possess.  For some odd reason I can stay neat at school but am completely unable to keep my clothes off the floor at home.

Another packing trial I am attempting to hurdle is my complete lack of packing skills.  You know those people who open up their suitcases and they have the right shoes and the perfect amount of clothes and they seem to be able to make a never ending supply of good outfits?  I know those people, and I am not one of those people.

I SUCK at packing.  I over pack like its my job.  I went away with my family to Florida for one weekend and I stuffed an entire suitcase full of clothes.  How the heck am I going to be able to manage packing for a 107 day trip on a ship through 14 countries?  My usual go-to packing method is if I think there is even a slight chance that I might wear it, it comes.  Hey, even if I don't think I will ever wear it, it comes. Just in case.  Anything and everything comes with me.  Clearly, that is not going to work for this trip. So far I have managed to pack the gifts I bought to give out to the children I meet while visiting the schools and orphanages in Morocco, Ghana, South Africa, and Argentina.  Priorities.  I can't get myself to start packing clothes; what if I end up needing it? See? Problems.  So I am writing and rewriting packing lists and writing and rewriting to-do lists, hopefully restraining myself from throwing random stuff into my suitcase at the last minute, and attempting to contain my overwhelming excitement for my upcoming adventure.