Nervous Troubles

My sister found an antique pamphlet called, "How to Fight Nervous Troubles."

This goes along with my current state of mind about the trip.

This school year has been a tough one. I'm working two mini-jobs on Monday and Tuesday nights and taking classes on Thursdays. I've got meetings for the trip a few times a month. I'm also a class advisor, which is more work than I signed up for. Wah, wah, wah. What I'm trying to say with all of my whining is that I'm really busy and my to-do list for the trip is getting bigger and bigger. I try to use my planner, but I don't think I've ever been so busy. On a side note, the house is a mess and it's not the way I used to keep it before starting my master's degree and I started never being home. Things are kind of rough around here.

Last night, we met for a travel orientation which added to my nervous troubles. I seriously need to set aside time to shop and look through my wardrobe. I'm going to post my to do list here and cross things off as I get them done. If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of to-do lists.

To Do (Trip Prep)

Get the rest of my malaria pills

Scan my yellow fever certificate and passport (save to a USB)

Make 3 copies of my yellow fever and passport 

Get copy of all prescriptions from my doc

Get a letter for why I need the prescriptions from doc

Make copies of project acceptance letter for travel

Send in for Visa to Mali

Email trip activities to my advisor so I can get credit

Get my Typhoid and Polio vaccines

Download all of my French CDs to my ipod

Figure out the packing situation

Figure out the budget situation (and money and exchange rates)

Buy the following: Deet, camera, permethrin, rehydration packets, some kind of travel purse with lots of zippers, detergent packets, notebook, duct tape, camping clothesline, various types of hand sanitizer, waterproof hiking shoes for summer, non-ugly hat, first aid kit supplies (pepto, imodium, decongestant, motrin, neosporin, benedryl, girl time products), bath wipes, SPF 50, some kind of belt for my passport, pocketknife

One thing that helped me at the orientation is that we started putting all of our questions out there. It was nice to know that other people are feeling as nervous as I am. So while I felt nervous, I also felt VERY EXCITED. I couldn't get to sleep last night because I kept thinking about how I'm leaving in two months with a great group of people... this trip is going to awesome. 

The trip advisor gave me some amazing advice that has eased the nervousness: Accept, don't expect. I'm going to stick with that.