It's official, and oh so real :D

I have my plane tickets bought, and an acceptance letter from Saarland University sitting on my coffee table. As I sit here on the couch with my Chinese leftovers, and can of coke, listening to Styx's Paradise Theater on my roommates new record player, I know it is real. I am leaving for Germany in just a few short months. I am so excited, and a little scared too. I have been waiting for this opportunity for a very long time, and now that it is finally here, I almost want to take it all back. I like my little apartment and the life I have set up here. Six months isn't much time, but it is long enough for so many things to change. 

Even though I am looking at six months now, I am applying for a Fulbright teaching assistant scholarship, which would allow me to go to Austria, just a month after I get back to the states. Life would be a little different on the second trip, where I will be working as a teaching assistant. If I get excepted, which I want or else I wouldn't be applying, obviously, I would be looking at being gone for a year and half. It's a long time, but I just have to keep reminding myself about all the opportunities I have waiting for me on the continent. :)

Back to the here and now. My mom has graciously agreed to take care of my Hank. My child/cat. --notice that child is before cat, well, that just might be because that is how he is treated. Where my mom will have him at her place, and will be letting him go out of doors, she has asked me to try and get him to start wearing a collar.Which he of course hates, and I think it makes him look just a tad silly. Now matter what I think, he has managed to take it off twice this week. I think that after wearing it for about 8 hours he is done, and so slips his collar somehow. I have no idea how I am going to be able to get along with out my Hankers, but I guess I will have to manage. I guess Skype calls to my mom will also have to include some time with my little mister. 



I went to the mall today. Thank you Chris for not making me go alone. We looked at luggage, and I think that I will be getting a pretty good deal. I am getting a hard sided 28" suitcase, a 20" carry-on, also hard sided, and a 24" rolling duffel. It will cost me $100 dollars at midnight on Friday. I can't believe I will actually be going shopping in the mess of black Friday, and at the mall of all places, but for that kind of a deal, I think it will be worth it. The original price is $300. The sale price seems to be a good deal, better than what I can find quickly online. So I think it will be good. There were only two in the store today, and I didn't want to spend the extra $50 to buy it right away, so the salesman, was kind enough to stash it away where people probably wouldn't look for it. Hopefully that way I can just run in buy it and get out. Cross your fingers for me.

I am hoping to find a camera for cheap as well this weekend, but I haven't found one that is a really good deal. I have found a couple that I will be looking at, but they are regularly priced well. I also haven't been able to find anywhere it is on sale; so if I can avoid any other black Friday sales, I think I will. I am looking at getting a Sony Handycam, that will transfer easily to my computer, and can take stills as well. My regular still photo camera is several years old, and although it still works great the zoom isn't the best so I might be able to get some pictures with the camcorder that I wouldn't be able to get otherwise. I am excited to get a camera and start doing some filming. I will have to ask you all to bear with me as I get used to editing and filming my life. Hopefully, I will have enough practice so when I actually get to Germany the films will be better. 

I think that is all for now. There is lots more I could say, but I will save it for another day. I have plane tickets, I have an acceptance letter, I have a great friend traveling with me, and I have great friends waiting for me. Now if I could get all the rest of the stuff out of the way, like packing, and moving, and saying good bye, oh and finals, I think I will be ready to go! Wish me luck! :)