We're in the Bahamas!

I'm sitting in the lobby of the Towne Hotel in Nassau. I'm here. I have my bags. I have my meds. I HAVE MY VISAS! I have everything I need... I think... except maybe enough money, and some febreeze.

Japan gave me a lot of trouble, as expected. When I called them to see if they needed my student ID, I was told that unless I could supply them with my mother's bank statements for the last quarter, her W-2s, my birth certificate (to prove I'm related to her--different last names), and a hand-written letter from her, I wouldn't make it in. Why? Because I was too poor. In looking at my own bank statements, Japan decided that I didn't make the cut financially, even though I gave them proof that all of the room/board and food (if I opted) were paid for well in advance. It makes no sense because, clearly, all of the money that should have been in my account had gone into paying for this trip.

Anyway, they didn't want me pooring up the country, apparently.

I did get them all of the information they'd asked for, and I did eventually get my visa, thank all that is holy.

I came home, stressed out about packing, packed, and made it up to my aunt's house in Jersey City. Mom and I spent the night there and this morning, Lila and Jimmy dropped us off at the airport. Today is the first day that I've been able to breathe calmly. The ulcer I'm expecting to find in my stomach is the product of acquiring visas and making sure everything I will need is on me. Now, even if everything I need isn't on me, I'm not as worried because nothing can be done. As far as I can see, though, I do have everything I need. Guess I'll figure out that I'm wrong when I need what I've forgotten.

I'm happy with how I did with packing. There's space in my bags, even with all of my stuff in there. I was able to fit all of the little gifts I packed for children at the ports and in the orphanages I plan to visit (shopping for that was a task, as I absolutely refuse to buy gendered or militarized toys for children).


I was lucky to see a couple of my best friends, Nick and Jesse, before I left. I spent the night at their place the day before I got my visas. They're just a train ride away from Manhattan. I'll be missing them, but I'm used to that since they both live 2-3 hours away for most of the year while we're in school.

I'm already missing Bill, not that that's new. He lives over a thousand miles away from home now. Missing him from overseas is going to be way different from missing him from within the US. At least in the States I could call him often and without charge. No time differences or 40¢/min charges just to hear him. Also, I'll miss being able to put together care packages for him. I think I enjoy baking him cookies as much as he enjoys eating them.

Mom and I had dinner at a pretty nice place here. I'm enjoying the live presence of live music in so many places here. The customs line at the airport had a band. Crazy. Also, everyone's friendly.

I've made some friends here at the hotel. A few people recognized me from my pictures online on thefacebook.com. That was strange. Spent some time hanging out with a girl I met in the lobby and her cousin. They're surprisingly not on SAS (almost every other youth here is). Very cool people. She lives in Manhattan, and he recently graduated with degrees in Psychology and Environmental Science.

I'm looking forward to spending the next couple of days with my mom. She wants me to go out and take some friends up on their invitations to go out and mingle, but I have 100 days to do that after Sunday. I think she appreciates that I want to spend some time with her, too.