Part 1 of 2. Five hours down, five more to go.
Done by Kirsten at Icon Tattoo in Portland, OR.
30 Days.
My staging travel snafu (e-mail said LA, SATO made me get a ticket to Chicago) got all figured out this morning. Some very, very lovely person from my training group called up SATO and talked to them on my behalf.
I am just feeling so very lucky to be going with the people I have either met in person or through Facebook. They are all great and wonderful, and it makes leaving the people I know and love now a little easier.
Sometimes I just think my heart won’t have enough room to contain all these good feelings, and then it just proves me wrong.
Shit, Portland. I’m gonna miss you.
Things:
A. That is a draft of the tattoo I am getting. I am still just in awe of how awesome it’s gonna look. Showed it to my never-serious roommate and he just said, “Wow, that’s beautiful”. TRUTH.
B. There is another girl in Portland who is going to China with me. Two different mutual friends offered to have us meet up (ETA: We have a third friend in common; the three people we all know don’t know each other. WHAT). It’s like kismet! We got coffee today and halfway through talking about all the things we wanted to do I was like, “Wait a minute, we’re gonna be there in a month. Let’s make real plans!” Also: UNREAL.
C. Four day weekend!!!
Duh
I forgot the most important thing!
Buy a collapsable hoop and brush up on my tricks because goal #1 of Summer 2013 is to hoop my way across Southeast Asia.
And yes, I am totally, 100% serious: the hula hoop is a greater packing need than almost everything else.
40 days & the things I will do
Quit my job! Accomplished today! No more waiting tables for this gal!
Get a giant/expensive tattoo! My final session is June 17th, which gives me 12 days to heal before I stop having access to clean water. If it’s not healed, this will be an adventure in What Can Go Wrong.
Give notice on my apartment! I am going to miss the creepy cats that occupy the shared balcony.
Friend time! It’s getting increasingly hard not to cry.
Sell my things! Oh god, craigslist. The thought of managing all those awful interactions makes it almost seem worth not getting the money and just dumping my shit on the curb.
Finish up with all my school work! This is the thing that seems the most improbable. Like what, you want a thesis proposal?! HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
Pack! Never mind the fact that I haven’t even purchased things like socks yet. This will happen.
Whirlwind East Coast tour! Day 1: Pittsburgh, Day 2-??: State College, Day ??: YOU TELL ME Day 7: DC. And on the magical 8th day, I board a plane to China.
I just can’t even.
I made this video earlier this week for my grad department about what my experience was like applying to the new Peace Corps Master’s International Program.
I denied their initial request for a photo and a statement, and the was all how about a video and some limericks instead?
Skip to 1:58 for the limericky goodness, otherwise it’s just me monologuing.
There has yet to be a bear claw placed in my hands.
My current crisis: super cute lady wanting to spend a ton of time with me. Feeling likewise about spending time with her. Normally? No trouble!
But ohmygod I’m leaving for China in 60 days and I kind of don’t even know how to bring it up. Because (to be honest and frank) I’ve signed up for basically a two year commitment to not only celibacy but remaining in the closet. And this is a delightful break from the drudgery of prepping to leave and the hell that is grad school.
What should I doooooo?
