Obligatory reference to some annoying old song about travelling

Well, I'm sitting here, in my small hometown in middle America, looking at my incredibly full backpacking pack and suitcase, getting ready to embark on what will surely be an amazing, exciting, and challenging semester.

I know who I will be staying with - my Danish family has contacted me via email and I am now a friend of my host sister on Facebook. I've purchased little presents for them, which hopefully they will like. I'm all packed (also terrified that I will end up forgetting something in spite of careful planning). I've purchased bus tickets to prove that I will, in fact, be leaving Denmark (never mind that I haven't got a plane ticket back to the States yet...I don't know exactly what the summer holds, so how can I make plans at this time anyway?) My mom got me a baller new camera, so that's pretty exciting, and I've set my parents up with Skype - technology is AWESOME! I just got to look at two of the syllabuses (should that be syllabi? My computer seems to think syllabi isn't a word...) for my classes - I'm so excited for them, now that I can see a little bit of how the coursework is shaping up! Also a little nervous, since I'm taking 6 courses. Even though it still adds up to fewer credits than a 4-course semester at Mac, it looks like these courses at least will be just as much work as a regular Macalester class. I guess time will tell.

I'll be doing the farewell thing in stages, I guess. Some friends from home and I have plans to go out and about this evening for what will surely be a good time. My family and I head out to Chicago tomorrow afternoon, once my brother gets home from school, and we'll stay in a hotel there. My family and I will be getting together with one of my friends from Mac, Robert (who lives 3 minutes from our hotel) for brunch on Saturday morning before my flight leaves at 4:25. I'm going to try to be at the airport around 1, which seems really early, but with the recent terrorist attempts, I'm guessing security will take rather longer. I also really don't want to miss my flight! Wouldn't that be terrible? Apparently there are several other folks who are going to DIS on the same flight - hopefully we'll be able to meet and chat a bit.

Despite all this preparation, it doesn't feel real yet. It's very strange. I don't feel like I'll be leaving the country in about 49 hours (Oh my goodness!!) even though I just spent the last hour re-packing and trying to squeeze as much of my life as will fit into a backpacking pack and tiny carry-on suitcase (which, by the way, is very difficult when your life includes boxes of diabetes supplies). I feel like I'll just be chillin' in my messy room at home, reading too many webcomics and sleeping late for weeks to come. But I won't be! I get the feeling it won't seem real until I'm in Copenhagen. Actually, it probably won't seem real until a few weeks after I get there. But it's sure going to be an adventure!