Getting Ready

It's officially two weeks until I depart for the Motherland, and I'm starting to get very excited indeed! But there's still so much to do before I will be ready to leave and I have no idea how I'm going to fit it all in. If I could offer anyone any preliminary advice, it would be to start preparing yourself WAY before you think you need to. And also listen to your mother when she nags you to do so...

Urgh, and I still have to get my innoculations to be allowed on campus and I'm absolutely TERRIFIED of needles. I didn't even know I needed any until a few weeks ago. I'd say it would be a good idea to find out your innoculation responsibilities early on if you're frightened of injections. As my time is running out I'm getting more and more paranoid about it. Oh and definitely budget for the injections. I only have to get a meningitis shot but the vaccine cost me $48! And I only got a rebate of $18 from my private health fund. Imagine if I had to get a bunch of them!

Speaking of money, I've started to organise a type of budget - keeping in mind that I won't be receiving my travel grant or OS-HELP loan money until a while after I arrive. I hate that I have a budget ... filthy word ... but I really must be realistic and mature and recognise that I need to work my money over a four month period (boring). I figure, sadly, that this means no ridiculous, kitsch souvenirs or bagfuls of American candies just for the fun of it. Restraint, ladies and gentlemen, is certainly not my forte, so wish me luck!

I've also been having a little bit of a looky at the weather forecasts for my travel destinations. Good Morning America starts at 4:30am on channel seven, or channel nine (or something like that - check the TV guide) and they go through a full weather report for the United States. Of course if you're heading to Europe you can watch the international news programs on SBS or simply check the net. I'm super psyched to leave cold, dreary Wollongong and get some sun!!

Anyways, until I arrive ...