I FINALLY am here posting an update. Unfortunately it’s not a big update. I’ve not had internet access the past few days, and I won’t be able to get Internet access in my dorm room until Monday when the IT office is open. I am at the school right now, and uploaded quite a few photos and 3 videos to my Flickr account. Please click here to view them.

I’m really enjoying Copenhagen so far, and as soon as I get regular access to the Internet, I’ll post a longer update (and more updates in general). But I have to say, it’s really been great to have a break from being online these past few days. I am trying to do as many things as possible and am up for going to as many social events and/or exploring as I can. I am out of the loop about what’s going on with the US elections or what’s going on the US in general. I’ve only just found out a few minutes ago that McCain picked the governor of Alaska to be his VP choice? Wow.

I may start reading a Danish newspaper (the Copenhagen Post is in English).

OK that’s all for now. Longer post later!!!

Well, Departure Day is almost here. It feels so unreal. I’m so ready to leave, but at the same time, I’m not. I’ve been having second thoughts, even though I am so excited about this trip. It’s funny, months and months ago, I couldn’t wait to go, and now that it’s finally here, I want to stay home…I guess that’s all just part of the pre-departure anxiety. I also started having anxieties about the flights…I love airplanes but I can be a jittery flier if I haven’t flown in a long time.

I will miss my family, friends, co-workers, choirs, jobs and all the familiar people, animals, places, foods, rituals and objects that define my life. For the next 4 months, I will meet new people, try new things and develop new routines. It will be an amazing experience, I just know it!!!

On Tuesday my mother and I did what I like to call “packing practice.” We got together all the stuff I’m taking and proceeded to do a test run of fitting everything into my nice large suitcase from an L. L. Bean luggage set (it has my initials on it in yellow letters). Unfortunately all of my stuff wouldn’t fit into that one big, as big as it was. We discovered that the bag is deceptively big…it has a large frame, but the interior isn’t very deep. So I found another large bag that I had used on the Spain trip. We attempted to fit my stuff into that bag and the large L.L. Bean one, and it was very tight. So I had 2 large-framed bags filled to the brim, with no breathing space whatsoever. It didn’t look good at all…and it’s not like I had an exorbitant amount stuff either.

My mother and I watched videos on YouTube, trying to figure out the best way to pack a suitcase. We also looked at luggage sets for sale on QVC and HSN. It was a challenge.

My mother was determined to pack all of my stuff into one large bag (the one I took to Spain) and a smaller bag from the L.L. Bean set. Initially I wanted to take only one bag to avoid having to pay those ridiculous baggage fees, but I was just like, what the heck? 2 bags it is…

So yesterday morning she spent a lot of time packing everything, and she did it! It’s a beautiful packing job! Plus I have room left over incase I accumulate stuff in Denmark (which I’m not planning to do excessively). I have the best mother in the world, really! The best family, actually. They have all been so supportive of my trip, helping me out along the way, and for that I am really grateful (and lucky)!!