So I might live in a cardboard box.. but its all good

One week!! How do you pack for 7 months? Let me tell you, verrryyy carefully. Knowing me I'll buy a million things anyways so I'm trying to skate by with the minimum. Not to mention its now approximately $1 million to check luggage. Also, with the recent thwarted airplane bombing my tweezers might once again be confiscated as a "weapon." Should be an interesting 15 hour flight!

I still have not heard where I am living yet. I was supposed to find out a week ago, but with the Holidays and everything, apparently Jesus birth takes precedent over answering e-mails. I guess they have their priorities in order.

I'm trying this new thing where I don't worry about anything that I can't control. I think Latin American people have it down pretty good, so I'm gonna try to learn from the best! So as I am secretly panicking that I won't have anywhere to live, I keep reassuring myself it will all work out. Worst case scenario: live on the beach. Not too bad, eh?

Preparation

I can't believe I will be in Rio de Janeiro in less than one month! It still hasn't sunk in yet.. Maybe that is because I'm in the midst of finals.. not to mention a snow storm! I have the Rio weather on my desktop and look at it everyday before braving the snow and ice to walk to class.

Right now, I am still waiting for my visa to be approved. Hopefully everything goes smoothly! It is rediculous how many meetings and piles of paperwork goes into preparing for a semester abroad. Luckily, a lot of my friends will be abroad next semester also so we are getting through it together. I don't know what I'm going to do without seeing them for 7 months! Thank goodness for technology.. Skype, facebook, blogs, photo albums, and phone calls will make us seem less than a world apart.

I'm looking forward to tracking my experiences in Brazil on this blog so that friends and family can stay in the loop. Look for more updates in days and weeks to come!