There is so much to do.
What appeared to be a small list of last-minute details to finalize quickly revealed itself as one giant stress cluster. Trying to get enough of my prescription to take a four months’ supply with me has proved impossible, I need to figure out how to get a letter of good standing from the manager of my parents’ bank, and ordering books from a foreign country has been ridiculous, especially when I don’t know how to properly fill out the address field on the order form My address at school doesn't have a zip code! It just says Dublin 2! What do you want me to put there, Amazon?!
I have also been trying to read up on Ireland, learn about their government and figure out how to point to where I am on a map. I received a guidebook from my uncle-- published in 1989. Although it shows some very interesting hairstyles (note the token redhead on the cover), it may not necessarily have the most accurate information. I mean, I know the country hasn't gone anywhere in 22 years, but the internet is proving much more useful so far.
My dad handed me a plastic bag filled with Euros left over from some of his international business trips. This was exciting to me because I think it’s a good idea to go into a foreign country already possessing some of their currency, and this will save me the step of changing my money over at the airport and getting screwed on the exchange rate.
And my mom handed me a little tiny bottle of laundry detergent—two loads worth! Perfect, as the first thing I want to do when I get to Dublin does not involve running to the store to buy that kind of stuff. That’s why I’m packing mini versions of all of my toiletries, just to get me through the first week or two.
Even though it feels like I chip away at my list every day, there is still so much to finalize. Next time I do this I will start way earlier—by about a year.
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