On the Cusp

Hi all!  So here I am, the day before my big jump across the pond.  No, not the Koi, the Atlantic.  I must warn you before you read any further, I'm notoriously known among my friends as a terrible writer, so don't expect anything poetic, inciteful, or mind altering on this blog.  On top of that, I'm almost certain any six year old (in the US that is) could rival my computer competency.    That was just my little disclaimer, so if you're still interested in reading, I encourage and applaud you! 

I'm currently staying in Gaithersburg, Maryland, which is a few miles northwest of DC.  I fly out of DC Wednesday, so I'm here with my mom on business for a few days.  I arrived Sunday night, and for the most, I've been hanging out in the hotel room and gathering a few last things for my trip.  And boy am I glad a had a little intermediate trip.   DC has been a nice transition from Raleigh to Europe.  It's a big city with public transportation that I feel constantly lost in, but everything's in English, and English is the primary language of I'd say roughly 60% of the population.  Not only was it a good stepping stone to Europe, but after lugging my 52 lb suitcase through the air port, onto a shuttle bus, into a rental car, and into my hotel room, my trip to DC has definitely made me rethink my packing scheme.  They sell hair products, toothpaste, clothing, and other necessities in Europe, right?  However, if our plane crashed on a remote, uninhabited island and I was stuck there for a year,  I would be set.  Considering my complete confidence in LOT-Polish airlines delivering me to my final destination, I will for sure be repacking tonight and sending a bag back to Raleigh.  I feel like I've already gone into too much detail, so I'll just give you a quick itenerary of my trip.

I fly out of IAD tomorrow (Wednesday, August 11th) at 3:04 PM.  I land in Chicago at 4:09 PM CST, have a layover of about five and a half hours (yikes!), and then depart at 9:40 PM CST for Krakow, Poland.  I arrive in Krakow at 2:05 PM, August 12th.  I then have a layover for approximately four hours, followed by my third and final flight that departs at 6:30 PM and arrives in Vienna at 7:40.  Vienna is six hours ahead of our time zone, so it should be 1:40 PM, August 12th, Raleigh time.  That is, of course, if all goes according to plan. I've booked a hostel in Vienna for that night.  I will then take a train to Villach, a bus from there to an even smaller village, and then a ski lift to the mountain lodge I will be working at.

These travel plans sound all good and well while I'm typing on a computer in my cozy Marriot room,  but I'm well aware things happen and plans change.  I'll be pretty much on my own on the trek there, but I'd like to think I'm prepared and up for anything.   I'm a little nervous, but I'm trying to adopt a more relaxed, adventurous spirit and live as the Europeans do, in the present.  Whatever happens, happens.  I've spent my whole life rushed and looking to the future.  This trip is about living in the moment and taking life as it comes, but I know I still have a long way to go on that whole outlook on life.