Progress Report...

Thought it was a time for an update, since we're only 60 days away from the big trip happening.

I have got all my tickets, they turned up at the travel agent within two working days of me booking and paying for everything. So my flights and Amtrak pass are all groovy, as well as my insurance (I was re-reading that document, I'm covered for EVERYTHING!)

I got an email yesterday to tell me that my passport has been approved, created and I'll be able to pick it up next week some time. God, you should see the photo. Why did I wear my hair back in a bun that day? I never photograph well like that! At least they accepted the photo, the lady in the post office told me they might not because the rim of my glasses is too close to my eye on one side. Thankfully it didn't come back for me to get re-done, they cost me $14!! Rip off!

I'm in the process of getting myself sorted for money access while I am in the US at the moment. Making sure I can access my accounts and stuff, that they're secure, that I'm not paying through the eyeballs for conversion to US and Canadian $$, setting up an emergency fund to be safe, and making sure all my bills at home will be paid directly while I'm away. Just so I don't have to worry about them.

So, the current plan is now to spend Christmas in Michigan with Mandie (hey hon!) and New Year in Pennyslvania with Karen and Autumn (*waving*). It will be so damn fabbo to have a Christmas/New Year that aren't traumatic or depressing! Yay for being selfish and doing something for ME this year.

I also really want Mandie to take me to Hell. So I can fix all those bastards in life who told me to "Go to Hell" or promised me stuff when "Hell freezes over". Hopefully it WILL be frozen over while I'm there! One of the guys at work has begged me to send him a postcard from Hell, so I must find something suitable for him.

I am so excited about this trip. I find myself just drifting off into thoughts and ideas and daydreams about it all the time. Sometimes it gets a bit daunting, being my first trip out of the country and all, particularly as I'm doing it so THOROUGHLY. No two week guided tours for me, nope, jumping on in for almost three months and doing it on my own (with plenty of friends along the way). Mostly it's only the REALLY big cities that daunt me though. Chicago, New York... probably because I am a Brissie girl after all, and I found Sydney boggled my brain. I have this silly fear of getting lost. But it IS silly, because I have a fantastic sense of direction. Well I hope that when I get to the Northern Hemisphere it isn't thrown out too much.

Oh, and I'm dying to flush a toilet over there and watch it go down the pipe backwards. But I'm like that.