Lists

What I'm excited about:
Food!!! Dutch love bland food and so do I. And cuisines I haven't tried before like Moroccan and Indonesian.
My host family. I hope to have a host pet too.
Being in another country for the Olympics.
Introducing myself as Andi.
Going to cool places that I've heard about from Chelsea and my book.
Learning crazy Dutch words like klootzak, which means ball sac but translates to calling someone an asshole.

Things that worry me:
Weather. Winter. Being numb forever. SNOW. Ahhhhh!!!
Riding around on a bike in said weather. With glasses.
Getting lost and being late for something.
Pick pockets and bike thieves.
Running out of money.

My to do list:
Tell my credit card peeps I will be out of the country.
Figure out cell phone stuff.
Pre-departure theory assignment.
Get some euros.
Talk to CP&R about this summer.
Hang out with everyone as much as possible.
Help with Motley.

The "OMG will I ever be ready??!!!" Post

This first post is coming to you from The Rainbow Room in Soquel CA aka I'm still at marm's house. I'm being driven down to Claremont this Sunday by Casey Mathews and of course I haven't done much to get ready. Instead of doing laundry, packing or working on my pre-departure assignment, I am listening to T&S and eating Colombian marshmallows that are probably laced with coke. So far all I have in my massive eggplant purple suitcase: is a pair of leather gloves and some long underwear. I just know I am going to overpack (what do you mean I have to pick one sweater vest!?) but I hope that I don't go over the weight limit. Even though I will inevitably bring too many clothes, I'm not really sure what else to bring besides a couple books, my map, boots and unicorn stationary. Oh I just remembered that I need to buy presents for my host family!

I had my second dream about Amsterdam last night. In the first one I was in a dark room looking out a window at a white landscape and I was really cold and alone, but content. Last night I was walking around in the sunshine and it was still cold but I felt really happy and had a bunch of coins. No doubt both of them will come true at some point, but I hope to be in more situations like the second dream. I was the only person in both dreams, probably because I don't know who else is on my program or who my host family will be and won't know until I get there. Too much suspense.

So far the one thing I have done to prepare for my trip is to email SIT and tell them my preferred name is now Andi. When I get to Amsterdam (and maybe even before while in C-mont) I will start going by Andi. There are many reasons for this name change, which is its own post that will come at a later point. But for right now, I'd like for you to start referring to me as Andi whenever possible while I'm abroad and when we talk so that you get used to it by the time I'm back in the states.

This is my super cool unicorn journal that I will use for my musings about gender: