Making a list, checking it twice...thrice?...ummm...four times?

Confession time: The only time I've been out of the country was on a family vacation to Canada. Soooooo, traveling to a different continent for 3 weeks is an entirely different bag of bones. Am I excited? Yeah! Am I also a tad bit nervous? uhhh, heck yeah!

So I'm taking a page out of Santa's book and making a list:

Pre-departure Check-list

1. Learn as much as I can about the culture before I leave. Sounds easy, but not so much.
2. Learn as much of the language as I can before I leave. Again, NOT easy.
3. Learn how to efficiently pack...(perhaps the most difficult challenge)
4. Come to terms with the fact that, despite all my best preparation, I'll still face challenges while abroad and that it's all part of the learning process.

 Let the countdown begin!