Seven Days!

Wow, seven whole days until I'm loaded up on that airplane flying to a foreign country where I don't speak the language.  I'm alternating between "What was I thinking?!?!?" to "Is it to early to pack???". I sit here trying to figure out how I am going to get alllll my homework done before I leave, thinking about work, laundry, and packing - and I realize that instead of these responsibilities I just want to spend the time sleeping in, walking my dogs, having dinner with my family.  I'm trying to absorb and enjoy every minute with them now because I'll be gone for two months.  I am sad that I will have to leave my doglets (the nickname for my dogs - as a group) and that I will miss my favorite holidays - Halloween!!! and Thanksgiving.  I love Halloween because I get to dress up, it is my absolute favorite holiday.  I also love Thanksgiving because there is always lots of really really good food.... and well that's about it for that holiday, food. (nom nom nom).  I will also miss several family birthdays - so I'm trying to think of extra cool gifts to get them.  On a plus side I will be in Mexico for the Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos!!!  I remember fondly all of the years of Spanish I took in school and how much we learned about it.  I hope to get a chance to get lots of photographs and maybe some of the candy skulls to bring back.

For other updates, I've rearranged my housing options for when I first arrive.  I have decided that instead of staying in a hotel (at a very expensive 7000 MXN = about 520 USD) I am going to stay in a hostel. Yes, yes everyone please get the brief flashes of the actual Hostel movie out of your head. Okay, onward, I'm planning to stay in a hostel for about 1/10 of what I was spending on a hotel.  It's a bit nerve wracking, as it puts me in a very new environment and situation, instead of allowing me to hide out in my hotel while I realize that I'm actually doing this trip and am in Mexico I'm sharing a room and bathroom with strangers (eewww people).  On the plus side I've decided Google Earth is 1. my new best friend and 2. a great way to get motion sickness. I've checked the maps of the hostel I will be staying in and it turns out I am very close to the Frida Kahlo Museum (unless Google lied to me...*glare*).  So that is one museum that I get to mark of my list very soon after arrival.

Well, that's about it for now, as it is 3 am and I have work, my going away party, and homework to do today still to look forward too.  I wanted to post a brief update as I know I'll be quite busy this week and probably wont start posting up my daily blogs until the day before I leave.

Oh! Contact information - at this point I am certain I will not be using my cell phone while I'm in Mexico, but I hope to have internet access for my laptop and will probably be buying a cheap pay-as-you-go phone while there.  So for those of you who need to get in contact with me I will have facebook (obviously) and my email, rgall1407@gmail.com, and my skype account - rachael.gallegos. Once I have my schedule a little more situated I will set up a specific time for skype chats - so that I can make group chats or individual ones (for family mostly - haha).  If there is any recommendations or things I can use or learn about skype I'd love to hear pointers! Otherwise, goodnight!

<3