Tada!

Well, I will be an official college graduate in two hours. Crazy.

I've been chatting with many mentors lately, and sold FOUR prints within the past month- most of that money went straight into my "Travel Funds" account... of course. It's strange, selling a piece of your work, I feel almost dirty, like I'm giving a private piece of myself away.

Italy. So soon...

Random Thoughts

So I may have found my first couchsurfer when I first arrive in Dublin!! Her name is Berenice and she grew up in Miami, but moved to Ireland when she was 13. She's into art therapy, which originally caught my eye. It's been too early to continue asking for more hosts in different areas, so I'm waiting until after the holidays. :)

I've also been thinking about hiking / camping in Ireland here and there. I've been looking at backpacks, and realized that I don't want anything too big, because I would rather not check my bags if I have to take a ryanair flight. And the less I have the better, right? Any thoughts?

Comfort

Final exams and papers are vastly approaching, and I am distracted by final ideas (instead of writing a paper) for art projects. Now is the time!! :) I got up at 7:20 this morning, and made my way to join some friends for coffee and an epic pancake at a local restaurant.

The company is so vital, and was well worth getting up at 7:20 on a Saturday morning for. I have come to realize that these are the people I desire to be surrounded by: passionate, intelligent, well read, creative, spontaneous, helpful, honest, appreciative, present. I really wouldn't be the person I am today without their insight and time.

My travels are vastly approaching, and I am becoming more aware of the actuality. I think I have been wound up too tight with planning, and budgeting. I know my plan, I know what I want to do, but the money thing has put a damper on time. Since I am still in school, its been hard to save as much as I wanted, but I am quite proud with the amount (so far) that I have been able to accumulate and put away. My friend Saša (who is pictured in the funny glasses) is from Croatia, so his input has been much appreciated. He knows I am anxious and worried, etc, and said, hey, you can find ways to make money here and there along the road if you need... teach English, figure model again... etc. He's right. Everything will work out, and I know that it well, its just becoming a bit intimidating.

Now, off to writing a paper about the Greek Polis... woo

Anticipated Route

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

"The Plan":

* Celebrate the holiday with family. Back to St. Cloud until the 7th of January, and see if I can get a few hours in at Cub Foods to get a bit of cash before I leave the country!

* Thursday January 8th: MPLS via San Francisco If anybody is in the San Fran area from the 8th-17th of January, let me know so we can hang out!! :)

* Leave from SF Airport on 17th --- Fly to New York on Sunday the 17th of January to hang out with my sister, Nicole until Tuesday 26th.

* Tuesday Jan. 26th Arrive MPLS

* Monday February 8th 4:10pm Leave MPLS via Dublin!