Okay, so I'm freaking out a bit

"Six days.... six days until I leave for Oman." This phrase has been running through my head all morning. Looking at my suitcases... the clothes I doubt I can even wear in Oman strewn about the floor... Texas trinkets for gifts... my ready stash of peanut butter I fully intent to take... and about a billion ziplock bags. Yup, all of this has been about for weeks, yet it is just now hitting me in my final week at home that I am.... going to live in the Middle East for four months.

Its amazing how easy it is to forget that the world here at home will be going on without me... people heading off to campus- and I won't be there for the parties, the gossip, the concerts- my family going on with their lives- and I will miss out on a lot of the news- and my friends- who I will not be able to create new funny stories with...

Till this point, one might ask.... Chelsea, why are you going? But despite all my worries, I know I do want to go and not miss out on this outrageously amazing experience! Yet still, since it was my choice to go to Oman, I feel weak or shallow or something in between for being so nervous.... but these things are normal aren't they? Its like a roller coaster... you are so afraid to get on.. you scream, you cringe, you maybe we yell curses at the gods.... but when you step off that ride... MAN, you're going to go AGAIN!

Or at least, thats what I'm hoping for...

Just when I think I'm prepared...

Now that it is almost a week until I leave for Madrid, I am shocked at how much I have left to do before I am on that plane on Saturday... Finals have grossly blinded me from the realities of pre-departure preparation:

1) I only own 4 pairs of socks... where'd they all go?
2) I own and wear a lot of tshirts... which are not "cool" Madrid fashion
3) Why do I own all this crap? Now I have to find a place to put it all!
4) I have 4 books to read before that plane lands
5) I really don't understand the vosotros form... this is not good
6) I'm really going to miss having my computer
7) The Euro exchange rate blows
8) I'm going to miss long, hot showers
9) I need more housewarming gifts
and most frighteningly.......
10) I'm saying goodbye to most people until January 2008...whoa