Pre-departure Ruminations

It is officially two weeks before I embark on my trip to Israel, today. So far, my preparations have been pretty minimal, and it has yet to hit me that I will be spending the next six months of my life in a place I've only read about and could not even begin to imagine. But as I check off each passing day, it's becoming imperative that I start packing.

What have I done? :

• bought a really expensive book on traveling in the Middle East - so far, I've read the history of the Middle East, which should be review since I took History of the Middle East with Rollman last semester...but I'm learning some new things, I'm not gonna lie.
  
• bought a planner and tried to sketch out a schedule of important dates and vacations. The only thing is, I can't figure out whether we have a Christmas/Hanukkah break or not, and if we do, when it is. It's interesting that all those random days I got off in highschool familiarized me to all the Jewish holidays I'll be getting off this semester. Yay for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur!!
  
• got a converter and consequently fell in love with how much fun Best Buy is.
  
• riffled through all the papers the Hebrew University has mailed me- I guess this stuff is important.
  
• paid most of my bills; profits this summer = 0. Fuck gas.
  

Things I have yet to do:

• Where the hell is my passport? Who knew visas would take this long and be so scary to get? My experience at the Israeli consulate was too bizarre.
• Figure out how much money I'll need, a budget I suppose.
  
• Figure out how the whole Wellesley study abroad payment receipt works, and then explain it to my mom.
  
• buy meds-gotta make sure my schizophrenia stays in check.
  
• figure out my insurance plan for next year.
  
• e-mail someone to get a cell phone.
  
• eat lunch with Ms. Hall!
  

and of course, exploit and enjoy every last minute of my summer.

Wow, this summer has flown by. I feel like I arrived home just yesterday from Boston. But then again, my lovely fondest memories of la Casa Cervantes seem like forever ago.

When I think about this summer, I remember lots of craigslist.com browsing at Anthony's Flower Shop, riding my bike at all hours of the day and not falling...yet; reading the nyt all morning after waking up ridiculously late; going to the beach often at night, and I have yet to go during the day, sad.; driving and not driving in the huge parking lot of the 405 and 101; many fun birthday parties with lots of frosting; and best of all, lots of random memories of just hanging out with old friends throughout the summer.

It's been kind of dull, yes. But, this has been a most fantastic summer. I'm sad to leave it, but I'm ready.