637

In approximately six hundred and thirty-seven hours, the jet engines will be roaring, the flight attendants will be done showcasing how to buckle and unbuckle our seat belts, and Indianapolis International Airport will quickly dwindle down to nothing but a sheer speck of gray on green mosaic of the Earth. And of course, chances are, the mother with the shrieking infant will be sitting directly to my left, the baby's megaphone mouth conveniently keeping me clear of getting anywhere close to the window to see that beautiful, calming view of the world. But in the meantime, we can pray that the person eight rows ahead of me will get to be that lucky person, not me.

Six hundred and thirty-seven? That's less than four weeks! We're talking a mere 26 and a half days! I haven't even begun to pack. I don't think I even have much of a list put together yet. This thing is getting closer and closer. Only a few weeks ago it seemed like a distant future. Almost like the spring and summer before your freshman year of college, when everybody would ask you, "So where you going next year?" "Got a college picked out?" "Now remind me, which college is it you're going to?" And you get asked what classes you're taking (don't know yet, we decide that when we get there), how this fits into your major (German Education and German), how long you'll be there (four months), are you excited (is the Pope Catholic? Do alligators lay eggs?) and sometimes the wonderful question of if you can talk some German right now (such a bizarre and annoying question - yes of course I could, but what'd be the point, you wouldn't understand it).

Despite that ever unavoidable hurdle in many conversations with virtually everyone here at home (since I haven't seen many of them much since summer, or when I graduated high school, or whatever), I am very much excited and I love the moments of realizing everything I'm reading in my travel books right now will soon become a reality - trekking through the Bavarian and Austrian Alps, studying under the shade of a tree in the Englischer Garten hearing the oompa band and the well inebriated tourists off in the distance, eating the best food and drinking the finest beer in the world, taking a weekend trip to Italy and exploring the streets of Rome or Milan, relaxing on the weekend dancing at one of the discotheques, waking up every morning and grabbing a fresh brötchen for breakfast... the list goes on.

That is one list I do have almost done - everywhere I want to go, places I want to visit, sights I want to see, trips I'd like to make, things I'd like to do. That's the fun and easy list to compile. Just crack open the Rough Guide, Frommer's, or Europe on a Shoestring and just read through, smiling to yourself as you read about all these cool places.

Tomorrow begins the more serious work of a packing list, things I need to buy yet for the travel, paperwork checklist, making copies of things, working things out in regards to a cell phone, banking, etc. More on the dull side of things, but exciting in its own way, nonetheless.

Well, that's really enough for now. No sense in writing too much when I haven't gone anywhere yet! If you have any suggestions on places to visit, good eateries, clubs, hostels, etc. either in Germany or anywhere really in Europe, please go ahead and shoot me an email or post a comment - I'm always looking for good finds and suggestions!

Bis später!