I (Still) Hate Moving

I started out rather ambitious this week, but of course that ambition has dwindled as the days go by.

Here's the thing, I haven't got any work this week. I've got absolutely no where I have to be. At all. This leads to a lot of sheer laziness.

I have been getting out of the house a bit and running errands. Buying this or that for my upcoming trip. Deciding not to buy stuff because it's more trouble than it's worth.

On Monday, I was totally ready to make this a productive week. I started out by going through every piece of clothing I own. I managed to fill up to small trash bag with clothing I'll donate (or let my friends rummage through) and then another bag with clothes I will just trash. No one needs a pair of jeans with holes in them.

But here I am with a huge box still full of clothing, my carry-on bag full of clothes which I think I might want to take on holiday but realize I'll have to minimize before I actually finish packing plus a bunch of other clothes.

Champagne is the Devil and I'm Back in Prague

So New Years Ever was amazing and I'm so happy I got to have one last amazing night in Austin before leaving. I got to see people I haven't seen in three or four years. It was like a big Daily Texan reunion. 

Unfortunately, champagne is the devil and so when my dad woke me up at 9 a.m. on Jan. 1, well... I wasn't really feelin' it. 

But it was moving day so I was still super excited and it didn't take too much to drag myself out of bed. 

Packing Day

So my mom was asking me what my plans are for the today and tomorrow (my last two days before airplanes take a day away from me) and I started spouting out all this stuff my friend and I were planning to do on Friday in preparation for a lovely New Years Eve party. (Yay, French macarons!)

"Well if you're going to do all that stuff on Friday then you had better pack tomorrow."

Shit... She's right. I hate it when she does that.

I am the ultimate procrastinator.

 I've managed to completely avoid doing anything about cleaning and packing up my room. I'm not sure if you know this about me, but I am great at getting things done on deadline. That said, I usually wait until the deadline is pressing. I guess it's the journalist in me. 

Yeah, I know. My room is trashed.

I'm one of those get it done way early or wait until the absolute last minute kind of girls. 

Preparing for Texas

I always leave packing to the last minute. 

I'm going back to Texas in two days and I haven't even started. My room is trashed and I don't know where to start.

This is all further complicated by the fact that I have to choose which things to take home and then which things to leave here. I have stuff at my parents house in Austin, but I can't for the life of me remember what. Apparently there are winter clothes there?

Do you need a receipt?

I keep forgetting if I've been back in Taiwan for one week or two since Thailand. That's how blurry everything is. (It's been two by the way.)

There is just so much going on.

I told all my classes this week that I'm leaving. I've been reading my Southeast Asia on a Shoestring book like crazy. I actually read the entire Cambodia chapter and most of the Laos chapter. 

My first cooking camp is over. I loved it and hated it all at the same time. And I get to do it all over again next week. Yay!

I finally broke down and went to buy new luggage today. 

How does a person accumulate this much junk in just a year?

I hate packing.

I managed to get almost all of the clothes I want to keep in one bag along with two pairs of shoes, my documents and a Texas snuggie.

Unfortunately, my robe and my second favorite blanket of all time didn't make the cut. I'm currently debating the idea of a second, smaller, bag of luggage in which I can cram my blanket, my robe and all the other stuff I have. I just have all this extra miscellaneous stuff:

Countdown 'til Taiwan: 17 days

So I am utterly impressed with the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in Houston.

I sent out my visa application 

Tuesday afternoon. According to the delivery confirmation, the office didn't receive my application materials until mid-afternoon on Friday, which sucks considering I sent it Priority Mail. 

Apparently things come back from Houston a lot faster than they get there (and I can't say that I blame them).

I checked the mail last night and there was my passport with my visa on page 9 right next to the stamp from when I went to Mexico two years ago. 

Not really sure how they processed my entire application and sent it back in enough time for that sucker to end up in my mailbox Saturday, but what a relief!

I am slowly realizing this means there is literally nothing keeping me from going to Taiwan now. I just need to go pick up my degree from UT June 1. I have a passport, a visa, a plane ticket and a (little) bit of cash. 

My mom's taking my car (and the payments!) and my roommate's cousin is taking over my lease.

Hell, I even got someone to pay me $250 so he could take my bedroom furniture and my kitchen stuff. He and his girl friend (girlfriend, maybe?) are moving it out as I type — and listen to '80s music. 

Not looking forward to the strategic packing I have to do.