excitement and nerves

The more excitement and thrill I have to leave, the anxiety is creeping in.

Wow. This time tomorrow I will be on may way to the airport. The more I am getting excited and ready to go...I also feel pretty nervous and stressed. And I rarely ever stress about much of anything, gah! Oh yeah, and sleep this week. Not really happening. If I wasn't afraid to take pills to knock me out, I totally would.

The suitcases are all packed, minus a few last minute things I have forgotten. All my papers, id, credit cards, and passport are ready to go...everythings perfectly organized, but my mind and emotions are a mess.

destined to get sick at the worst times

It was always an occurence on holidays as a child that I would get sick. Real sick. This in which meant my parents would sit in the ER with a cranky seven-year old on any given Thanksgiving or Christmas. Strep, flu, stomach virus...something new came each winter holiday season that involved a yearly ER trip during my elementary school days.

Fast forward ten years, and I'm touring Europe with a school program. I go 16 years without food poisioning, and bam, wiped out with it in Austria. Visiting a German physician, figuring out German medicine instructions, and still being dragged to visit a concentration camp dehydrated....yeah, lets just say I don't have the best memories with visiting Austria.

That leads me to today. I'm leaving Sunday...and I'm sick. (No, it's not the swine flu!) Just an annoying cold of some sort. I keep wishing it's just allergies, but after a Solo cup sharing frenzy this past Saturday I feel like that's not the case.

ten 'top' going abroad things

7 DAYS!! That's it?!

Soon to be my new home for three months ^^

1.) See all the things 'you're just suppossed to go to in London'. Ya, it's cliche, but even the most touristy things in London are going to be better than anything in the U-S-of A.

2.) Living in a huge city (byebye small-town!) , living in a flat (no dorm!), using public transit/walking everywhere (Eh, my extent of being eco-friendly) So what if I've never really done any of it? I'm psyched.

3.) Class. Shocking, but *crossing my fingers* they all should be ones I actually want to go to. Seeing theater productions in the city-for class? Hell yes.

4.) Pubs, bars, and clubs everyyyywhereee. So basically I get to turn 21 two months early =p Pub crawling is a must...turning into a beer girl has its upside. Bars that will NOT be filled with the local hunters and Harley riders. And can't forget the crazy clubs filled with London hotties!

5.) Travel all of England- At home, the countryside filled with cows and the occassional alpacas. England has castles and cliffs. Not hard to choose between the two.

6.) Oh and why not? Most countries are a short train or plane ride away (and cheap!) For sure, my passport will be get its use.

7.) Bringing home a London boy....or just make out with one.

8.) Go cliff-diving in Wales or bungee jumping from the Swiss Alps. The adreniline junkie in me is craving a thrill.

9.) The Food! Not that it is appealing, but what other country has a dish called spotted dick? But tea and scones? yummmyyyy!

10.) Live like a local! While it is study abroad, yeah, the school thing is a big part of it...but the next three months are going to be unbelievable :)

TWO WEEKS

LONDON CALLING!!

That's all. In 14 days I will be in Newark getting ready to take a plane to the place I've always wanted to live, LONDON! While that concept still seems impossible to get ahold of, I've realized I have only 14 days to get my life organized for three months in another country. Slightly freaking out here.
Case in point, #1.
PACKING. As the person who overpacks for everything, I'm f'd. Especially when my closet at home looks like a disaster and a half. Two 50lb bags and a carry-on. That is torture to a clothespurseshoe addict. Not to mention, I will probably be packing everything at midnight on the 26th...




#2- "Hi, how do I get to..." Clearly directions and navigation is not my strong point. I need a gps for practically anywhere. And, sad as it is, I've never read an actual city map correctly. But whatever, I figure it will be an adventure trying to navigate the Tube. Could be worse. I'm not going anywhere NEAR the driver's seat of a car.

#3-And honestly, the only other thing I'm having a slight break-down over is the moo-lah. Budgeting sucks...esp when I put traveling, shopping, going out, and booze money say, before food. Who needs food? pb+j and pasta is looking like my food pyramid for the next three months.

Next time...Top 10(ish) things I want to do abroad.

The girl with the visor.

So while a majority of the college crowd is headed back to school, I am depressingly annoyed and jealous there is still a month till London rolls around. Most of that time will be spent in my second home, rutters. Oh what a joy that will be. Here I have recaptured the most memorable characters, embarrassing Sarah moments, and customers who I want to throw my register at.

Exhibit One-Profiles of typical customers...

The regulars- For the most part these ones are pretty chill. Basically harmless retired dudes who play the lottery, drink coffee, and talk about Greta's brother's wife's friend.

Future juvi's- Annoying preteens who steal Skittles, sneak cig's from older brother, and scream the f-bomb in mom's face.

Lunch crowd, coming home from work guys- Come in, buy their smokes, beef jerky, and Pepsi. Leave.

The pregnant 15-year-olds- They get knocked up, and all have similar cravings of ben and jerrys, tasty cakes, and deep fried shit.

Sunday morning crowd- Two types. The moral church crowd who buy coffee and a newspaper, and the hangover crowd. Advil and Gatorade are their picks.

I'm on welfare, yet i buy $50 cartons of cigarettes- They tell their children they can't afford food. Then they buy a ridic amount of cigarettes and dip. Complain about not being able to use food stamps and being broke....but the people who piss me off the most? Pregnant women smoking.

Sarah's top "crawl under the register" moments.
-Calling a woman "sir" is pretty offensive. Even if they have a beard. Sorry, lady, I didn't have my contacts in that morning.
-Falling on my ass on the just mopped floor.
-Spilling just brewed iced tea. On the floor no biggie, but customer's aren't a fan of it.
-Asking a girl you went to high school with "when is your baby due?" In reality, she just gained a lot of weight.
-Getting asked out by guy's under 18, I know I look like I'm 17. Really, I'm 20. Mostly fustrating, but quite illegal.

And number one...getting busted by the sting police, making a scene by bawling my eyes out, and practically begging for no fine. At least I'm lucky: Mr. Sheriff forgot his paper work.

But the best thing that comes from working lots? Making lots and lots of moo-lah for LONDON!!