Around the World in Five Months

So, I just received my pre-advisory packet for SAS. It contains all the details about pre-departure prep: packing lists, currency exchange, you name it. It looks like on Embarkation day, Ashley and I will get to check-in during the second hour of boarding (which is at 9 am). Here, I thought that we would have until 11 am to explore Nassau...too bad. I'm really starting to get excited about this trip. Now that Thanksgiving is next week, I'm sensing the end of the current school semester, and looking forward to the upcoming semester. Right now, every little preparation for the trip is an exciting task--but for one exception. I do not like getting my vaccinations. I had my Hepititis A shot last Monday and suffered such a bad reaction from it. I've heard from a couple of my friends that the Hep A shot is not the worst of my problems. Supposedly, the Malaria pills are really annoying to take, and the Typhoid shot makes you sick for over a week. Goodness gracious.

As the trip gets closer and closer, I'm finding that I have a lot more on my "to do" list. A few weeks ago, I sent in my visas for China and India, which cost me $323 (cha-ching!). Two days ago, I sent in my deposit packet for SAS, just some forms about the Honor code, my medical history, etc. Now, I've got vaccinations on my list. Monday, I went to the doctor's office, and Dr. Nakamura looked over my itinerary for the trip. In her opinion, I won't have to take too many of the vaccines, but still, I have to go to a special travel clinic who'll have the final say in what I get. Even so, the nurse informed me that my medical insurance most likely won't cover the vaccinations....so there's more money bound to fly out of my wallet. Tomorrow, I'll be stopping by the Study Abroad office on campus to get my ISIC card which identifies me as an international student.

Now that I am definately going on SAS, everybody knows about my trip. That's all I'm hearing, in fact. "How are preparations going?" "Are you excited" "Where will you be going again?"....I'm realizing that as great a topic SAS is...I'm getting very tired about talking about it. I already have so much to do for preparations, the last thing I want to do it talk about it all the time!

So, I've finally got the green light from my parents to start planning for this trip! And while it's a faint green light, it's still a reality-check that I've got to get on top of all that I have to do before I leave. And there really is so much to do. I've got to get my visa applications submitted, there's forms to fill out, meeting with the Dean, paying of bills, planing my field trips, collecting the necessary supplies, buying plane tickets, wrapping up business I will be leaving here in SD, ...the list goes on and on. And with the way this semester has been going, the three months and thirteen days does not seem like much time to do all this. My first priority this week is to buy airline tickets. The ship embarks in Nassau, Bahamas and returns in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; so I must find two one-way tickets to and from San Diego. I've done a little research and to my delight, I've found that I can purchase both for under $400! When I did some research about two weeks ago, it was closer to $800. Granted, the flights aren't ideal. Most of them are overnight, and involve spending more than four hours in a lay-over airport. But, if it saves me money, I'm all for it!