Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again

Ok, it's official - I'm packed and ready to head out. My flight is leaving at 3 or 3:30 - I suppose I should get that straight prior to arriving at the airport aye? Bonnie is having a spaghetti dinner for me tonight, my folks should be here relatively soon. Jen & Josh were supposed to be back from San Antonio today at 2ish. BUT, something about there flight (I didn't get the details) being delayed/cancelled and now they won't get here until 10 pm. So, I'm not going to have any time to spend with Tristen (& my sister) before I leave which really bothers me. Enough that I haven't seen him in 2 weeks - guess we'll go ahead and extend that to 4 mos & 2 weeks. I'm really trying not to be upset about it, it's not their fault! I just hate that I didn't get to spend any time with them... Then my mom calls me a little later after the above bad news and tells me that JP put his truck in a ditch. (He's fine, truck is fine) Nice - can anything else happen today? Ugh.

I think I'm just really stressed out about leaving. I packed 1 lg suitcase, 1 med suitcase and a lg bag - do you think I even have a clue what is inside them? I open up my closet and there are tons of clothes inside of it, so what exactly did I pack? Again, ugh..

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A little time has lapsed now - dinner was wonderful! The fam just left to drop off the other part of the fam who just now arrived in Erie. I have been playing phone tag with my other sister Stac all day. My neices (who are absolutley adorable) left me the cutest message on my voicemail! I can't believe it's going to be another year before I see them again.

I'm a little nervous about everything tomorrow - wait, who am I kidding - I'm nervous about the entire week. I think I have my orientation all day on Monday & Tuesday. Then Wed, Thurs & Fri are open to us. Since I know I didn't pack anything posh enough to were in London - I guess that means SHOPPING! Woooo Whoooo!

Oh, a real quick side note, has anyone ever mailed anything approx 30lbs overseas? Take a wild guess how much it would cost....... $50? No. $100? Not even close. Try $200. Yep. Bonnie says to me "Well Jamie, I was going to bake you cookies and send them, but at that price it looks like I'll be sending you 1 cookie!!" Funny lady!

Ok - need to get to bed now. I will post next when I am all set up in LONDON!
Yeah Baby!

:) Cheers! :)

I leave Sunday? What?

I can't believe that I'm really going to do this.
I went out last night to (as Maria put it "celebrate Jamie leaving" & I said thanks for that Maria...) say goodbye to friends & have one more night at Molly Brannigans. It's the best pub in town. Well, actually it's really the only pub in town. Anyway - great time. I was told that I am not supposed to post the pictures I took last night on this blog... We'll see about that. :)
So, is this packing for 4 mos. thing supposed to be this hard? I do know one thing, it's not supposed to look like this:


I am actually sending myself some items before I even leave. There was no way that anyone can pack for 4 mos. in 2 suitcases. It just can't be done. But another thanks to JoAnn for the best packing tip ever!
I've been running every single day this week trying to tie up some loose ends & boy am I tired. The plane ride will actually be my time to relax. I can't wait to sleep in a sitting up position for a few hours! Yes!

5 days? Uh Oh, suppose I should start packing??

I don't really know what I am doing with this blog, I'm having just a little trouble - please bare with me!
One of my best friends Dave took me to dinner tonight. I'm STUFFED. I think he is the only other person in the tri-state area who hasn't been on an airplane besides myself. Boy is that going to be fun. Smart move Jamie - fly over the ocean 8 hours for your first time in a plane...
I'm going to miss my friends alot. I have really great friends! Ones that live here in Erie & the others are scattered all over the place. My 3rd shift co-workers presented me the other night with a daypack full of travel items and a really beautiful photo album with 'Europe 2005' engraved on the front. My friend Rachel got me this awesome album for scrapbooking. Looks like I'm going to be up to my ears in photos!! Guess that means I will have to send some home. You guys will be saying 'No more pictures, please...'
I really think I'm going to miss my family tremendously - I never thought that would be a problem considering I'm always saying how I'm moving away. I guess this will be a test to see - Sometimes having such a great, understanding & caring family can be a negative on issues like moving away. Nahhh, I suppose I could stay here for a while longer (Only if I can take trips like this all the time). Mom - that was for you!
How about the adorable baby in the picture? That is my awesome nephew Tristen. I use the term 'awesome' lightly right now - I have a little baby bone to pick with him. I have tried for about a month now to teach him to say "aunt Jamie" - he looks at me and laughs. Well don't you know that Jen & Josh (sister & brother-in-law) go to San Antonio to visit Stac (sister) and he says "aunt Stacey".... Ewww. :)
If anyone has any tips for packing - send them my way. As it goes so far I have 3 suitcases: 1 is full of toiletries, 1 could be just shoes and the other would be clothes. That's not counting my carry on and laptop. Geez - not only do I suffer from a shopping disorder, I have a packing one as well.

Only 10 more days

Auugghh, What was I thinking going to Europe all by myself? I can't even believe I am going.