The journey begins tomorrow.
What have I been doing in the couple days leading up to my departure, you ask?
I have literally been weighing individual items in my suitcase (via electric scale, thank you mom) trying to get the damn thing under 50lbs. Not easy. Who knew shoes were so heavy?! And big?! Too bad those are the things I do actually need to bring because they don't outfit godzilla with work shoes in China. It's at least 80f in Beijing right now, and I will arrive dressed in pants and two jackets, because they weigh too much to make the cut into my suitcase. One 50lb suitcase is ridiculous.
I went and saw Harry Potter (thus ends my childhood )-': ), X-Men: First Class, and Captain America. A good dose of American movies at their finest. And no, I'm not being facetious, I really do love these genres.
I've also been indulging in every delicious dairy product I can find, effectively counteracting a summer of dieting. I regret nothing. While Chinese food is wonderful is almost every way, there is a blaring lack of dairy of any kind. Especially cheese, the best dairy of them all.
In other news, I am FREAKING OUT about leaving right now. All my weeks of preparation don't seem to have helped. There are piles of everything everywhere around the house and no time to figure out what I was going to be doing with them. As far as being gone a year, there was no problem until I started saying goodbye to people. They ask, won't you be sad about missing Christmas? Won't you miss everyone? Your nephew will be walking and talking when you get back! Tears tears tears. Well now I'm upset about being gone! I'm a great traveler right up til about two days before leaving, when I enter the you're-strapped-into-the-roller-coaster-and-it-starts-moving-up-and-all-of-a-sudden-you-start-panicking-and-want-off-but-too-late!-you're-s.o.l. phase. It's almost cruel that I leave in the evening, because I'll have the whole day to dwell on it. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts.
The good news is this seems like it will be the cushiest arrival I've done. The program has taken care of everything I can think of, from getting me a window seat and a vegetarian plane meal, to extensive directions to the hotel in case we somehow miss the van, names of everyone, phone numbers... They even sent photos of the people we're arriving with! I don't think I'll memorize that, but it's a nice thought. Guess they don't want their precious teachers having a nervous breakdown before they get to the school.
Well, nothing for it now. I'll try and post again in a couple days when I'm there and settled and have found the interwebs. Wish me luck.
If I don't come back, avenge me.
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