Ready and Waiting

Thanks to my sister, the Vietnamese government, and soon to be Wal-Mart, I am just about ready to leave. My sister, the shopper she is, helped me get together some of the last few things on my list. She found me a nice travel guide book (don't mind the acetone) and an extremely small umbrella (I think it is from a cocktail) among other things. The Vietnamese government sent me back my Passport with a visa to come visit. I have to admit sending my Passport away was a little nerve-racking. More so was the day UPS returned it and left it partly under my door mat. Real safe. Wal-Mart has my camera in route to me. So a little pants shopping and getting some Thai money then I am off. Oh wait, 950 hours to go.
So how do I fill those hours? I have spent so much time surfing the net for information to use for my trip and have so many bookmarks of web pages that I like, it has made me overwhelm myself. Then there is teaching. May is a hard month for teaching. It is the most stressful and students start shutting down. What will make it even harder now is that I want to close up shop.
If I go crazy don't worry, I have a frequent flyer's pass so I know the way. I think I have crazy listed as my permanent address. Anyway, five more pre-trip entries and then I am gone. Hope I continue with this journal once I have started the journey.

Ouch

Ok, it really didn't hurt but I got my vaccines today. I also got my malaria tablet prescription. One more, big step.

Also in Vietnam

Side Note - I just saw Bear Grylls in Vietnam. His trip and mine are a little different though. He stayed for a shorter period of time and went a little deeper into the country. Ok, so our trips are a lot different. Take a look.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZXput1RSRo
 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ7xHXpgT94&feature=related

Seven Weeks

Not much to say, the mind is still crazy but there is less to do.

I am off to the doctor’s office Monday for some meds but still have nothing on vaccines. I am going to ask him about a convenient place to go because I am not finding one. Some of the vaccines are expensive. I am also waiting on my Visa from Vietnam. I had to send my passport off to get the visa, scary.
I just ordered a camera from Wal-Mart online. It looks nice and wasn’t expensive. It was less because it was red. The last one I bought was for Israel and that was five years ago. I don’t take picture unless it is on a trip and so I am pretty bad at it. Hope I do better this time.
I can't speed up time so I guess I will just have to impatiently wait. Later.

I Post Therefore I Am

Point of thought – People say, “Do it today for you may not have tomorrow.” I have many regrets in my life but this is something I am sure of, so I am going. Of the things in life that I want, this is one that I can define, hold up, and say “This is my desire.”

I have decided to make a post a weekend until I leave for me and anyone watching, mostly me. I am keeping it to one so I can get in the groove of writing a journal and only one so that it is not complete drabble and doesn't consume me.
Still no vaccines or doctor’s visit but I have bought all my tickets for everything. Also, of my list of 67 things to get for the trip, I only have 21 left. That is my post for the week.
P.S. If you see this and know someone that would like to know about what is happening, tell them. Forget the grapevine thing. Comments are welcome.

Getting Ready

Well I am getting ready for the trip even though it is still two months away. With the help of past visitors to Southeast Asia (SEA), I have made a list of things to bring. Now is the time to get those things. Everything from Visas to malaria tablets to tissue. I can't leave out the loads of hand sanitizer either. My next big stops are to the doctor's office and the vaccine clinic. Great, shots. I can deal.
I also have started to tell people face to face about the trip so they don't have to hear it from the grape vine. I think that is better.
I have to admit I am going crazy though. All my thoughts are going toward the trip and the trip alone. When I went to Israel I was in my second year of teaching (stress), inbetween jobs/schools (stress), and had been planning that trip for years. Now the situation is completely different. I am on the edge of going crazy, luckly I know the way.