Pre-Departure Fun...

So although I won't be stepping down in Copengagen-town for another three months (plus a little bit), I still need to get my pre-departure checklist completed. Most things seemed pretty easy, and I completed them right away. Others are seeming very challenging. First, I realized when I applied to go abroad in the fall (there will be a blog about that I promise) that my passport expires December 11th. Well guess who is in Denmark until December 20th. So I have to renew my passport before I can go, which is now a mad dash to get to the post office and fill out the paperwork (I'm going today). Other than that, the airline prices spiked right when I got accepted to the program, so we paid an arm, two legs and a neck for my flight there and back. But knowing I have a way of getting to and from my program makes me feel a little better. I entered all my flight info into the pre-departure checklist and now all I can do is wait while my passport gets processed. And of course, I have other things I need to prepare as well:

• SAVE MONEY. All summer I will be taking $50 out of my paycheck for weekly spending (gas included) and will put the rest in savings. Hopefully I will have enough to last all fall...
• Buy luggage. Right now I have one bag that keeps about a week's worth of clothes in it. I have to get a duffle bag on wheels (yay for having LL Bean down the street - literally) and a suitcase I can bring on weekend trips. The challenge will be carrying all three in the airports with me...
• Get in shape. I know this sounds really odd, but it is a serious goal of mine since I will be living in the land of danishes (where'd you think they got their name!?). I know I will like the food in Copenhagen, so I need to prepare myself by getting back in shape in a way I can maintain when I'm abroad. Even though I skated for years, I don't think skating again will be the best option, since I won't be able to skate there (skates are very heavy, I'm still deciding whether they will win a spot in my bags or not). Hopefully some fitness classes and running will work as I can do those abroad!
• Buy a camera. This is an absolute must since my camera dates back to late 2006. I think I am going to ask for one for my birthday, to cut down on costs, but I might buy it myself to make sure I get the right one. Any suggestions?
• Fix my laptop. Right now my isight isn't working on my macbook. I was a lucky buyer of a silver and black MacBook. Not a macbook pro, just a macbook. It came out right before the macbook pro silver and black edition, and is basically the same only without a few things and horrible speakers. So if I want to skype at all when I'm abroad, I should probably go to the apple store and see what's up.
• Pass chemistry!!! I can't go abroad unless I pass gen. chem one and two. So I will be taking it this summer and hopefully will pass both sections with a C or better to be able to go abroad and do the program I want (if I don't pass, I will just do the public health program and take different classes). Wish me luck...

So that is all I can think of now, but I'm sure there's more. In about half an hour I will have a whole list going! I know I still have three months to go, but I feel like being over prepared isn't something you can be when you go abroad! And the pre-departure continues!!! dwh.