Packing might be a good thing to start thinking about

ONLY 6 MORE DAYS!!!!
Have I started packing?
Nope.
Have I gotten all of my stuff together?
Nope.
Have I gotten everything done and bought, etc.?
Nope.
Bottom line - I feel REALLY prepared right now. Good job, Melissa. :)
At this point, all I can really do is laugh and know that in less than a week, I will be soaking up the sun! I finally got my departure packet from ISA, which included info about my host families in both countries. In Argentina, I'm staying with a single lady in her 50s who is the manager of a company. I will have a roommate - and get this! - my roommate is a girl who goes to CSU! How crazy is that?! There are going to be 3 people in my group who are originally from CO (including me, of course). In Peru, I'll be with a family with a Mom, Dad and a Daughter. And a different roommate.
On my flight to Houston, there's a guy in my group who's on the same flight! Apparently he's coming from Wisconsin and has a layover at DIA, and from DIA to Houston. I've been in touch with a few people from my group so far - Facebook is good for something.

But by getting ready to leave, there are definitely a few things I've learned in the past couple of days/weeks:
*NO place sells shorts in Fort Collins in the middle of January.
*International plans for cell phones have alot of restrictions and underlying stipulations. Forget that.
*CSU doesn't care if you pay an arm and a leg for your study abroad program - since I'm not a 'fee-paying' student, I can't use the student facilities for free. Fantastic.
*Certain people and places are better left behind. Good riddance.
*I have alot of amazing people in my life who I'm really going to miss.
*There are SO many things to do before I leave the country for 5 months.
*I've spent alot of money in preparing to leave - where I will be spending alot more money.
*Cleaning out closets and getting rid of stuff is very liberating.
*Picking and choosing what to take with me is more complicated than I thought it would be.
*I forgot how easily I get stressed out about stuff. Don't worry, I've been reminded.
*Everything is going to be so different when I come home - alot is going to happen in my friends and family's life in 5 months.
*This is really happening!!

So I'm just taking it one day at a time right now and slowly but surely getting things together and done. There are alot of little things to remember - and the little things are what keep adding up. I just downloaded SKYPE today so that I can talk to people through that while I'm gone, too. ...if I can figure out how to use it - and my webcam.
I've loved seeing alot of my friends in the past couple of days, and I still have a few days left to say goodbye to people.
*sigh*
There's still so much to do...
I think I'll start packing.