I'm leaving in exactly 12 hours.

I'm ready. I've been ready many days, as mybags were basically packed last Wednesday. I pack light, too. Here's all I'm bringing. (observation- dispite my unorthodox tendencies, I am a very systematic person. I love organizing and cataloguing. I stayed up until 4:30 last night reorganizing then catalouging all of my comic books. Expect more lists in the future)

Clothes
-2 pairs of cordiroys (one new, one old with big patches)
-3 dress pants
-nylon pants
-pj pants
-2 shorts
-6 dress shirts
-suit
-14 t-shirts
-6 long sleeve shirts
-sweatshirt
-7 ties
-14 boxers
-19 pairs of sox (6 black, 12 white, 1 wool)
-winter gloves
-scarf
-winter coat
-long underwear
-shoes, dress shoes, hiking boots
-surong
-bandana

Books
-The complete works of Plato
-Plato: the man and his works
-Norton Anthology of Poetry
-Doctor Zhivago
-Anna Karenenna
-The Screwtape Letters
-Longitudes and Attitudes
-Devil in the White City
-Tao Te Ching
-Websters Pocket Dictionary
-Staying healthy in Asia, Africa, and South America
-Some book on working in China who's name I forgot

Other
-towel, handtowel, washcloth
-bar of soap
-shampoo, conditioner
-toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
-advil, advil flu and body ache, peptopismol
-4 bars of deoderant
-band-aids
-vitimins
-comb
-razor, electric beard trimmer
-2 extra AA bateries
-camera
-6 rolls of film
-clock
-stuffed animal (little multicolored giraffe)
-2 action figures (gonzo and spider-man)
-calander
-2 Chicago Magizines (to cut out picture for teaching visuals)
-2 dredlocks
-assorted photos
-scissors
-pocket knife
-multi-tool
-voltage adaptor
-glasses case, old glasses
-black liquid make-up
-11 decks of playing cards (1 for me, 10 as gifts with cute Minnesota loons on them)
-Rubik's cube
-laptop computer
-3 read/write cds
-2 copies of all forms
-file folder
-visa
-plane ticket

Note things I did not bring- Jedi Robe, most of my favorite t-shirt (too old and ratty), love pants, nail polish. It'll be tough not having these comfort items, but perhaps it will be like removing a crutch as well.

I really do want to write more, as this is a very exciting time and it will be neat to look back on all my thoughts and expectations just before I left. But I'm tired. Tonight I went out with my friends doing all the classic high school fun things before I left. We saw a movie at the dollar theater, pranked a friend by putting a bunch of desks (we found in the dumpster outside the high school) in a pyramid in their driveway, then went to Perkins followed by hanging out on the bike-brigde over the highway, talking till we gave up from exhustion. It totally rocked.

I've really enjoyed being home. It was the longest stint in Minnesota since summer after my first year. And now I'll be away from both Minnesota and my family for longer than ever before. I'm not too worried about that. I have much experience. I think I'll miss Chicago more, just because it's been my way of life for the past four years. A very good way to live, but I can't do it forever (despite Christian's assertions to the contrary). It will be very cool to be in the real world.

-The Wandering Norseman-