T-minus 25 Hours

        It's really an interesting feeling to know that 48 hours from now I will be in Germany...coupled with the fact that I have three tests tomorrow before I am free. So my rational instincts are screaming at me from two angles- one telling me that I need to pack, there is still so much to buy, what about snacks, did you verify luggage dimension regulations? etc. while on the other side I'm hearing "LH, FSH, estrogen, progesterone" repeated steadily in the attempt to convince me to actually read the biology notes that have sat in front of me for the past hour. As I'm sure you've guessed, however, a third instinct has thus far dominated: procrastination! So I'm writing this blog, checking my e-mail, walking up and down the stairs nervously without actually going anywhere...but as soon as I finish this post I will get to studying, I promise!

Me and my Deuter on a test run

       I finally bought a backpack last weekend. It is a 60L internal frame Deuter, beautiful green, top loading, and includes my most sought after feature- the fanny pack-like pocket on the waist belt. My fanny pack meant everything to me in Prague. I don't care how touristy or dorky I looked, it led to so many great things! Everything from the pre-meal hand sanitizer to chapstick to phrase book to stealthy hiding place for the stolen/bought Kofola mugs came from that fanny pack and it devastates me to leave home without it...but alas, moving forward! I think my backpack will compensate nicely))
       Today I received my much anticipated (and I think well earned, judging from the despair apparent in my last post) passport in the mail that included my RUSSIAN VISA! I admit, I broke out in dance for a few minutes. Now I am absolutely 100% going to Russia! My final itinerary looks something like this:

• Germany
• Staying with former exchange program partner Sarah
• Trips to Heidelberg, Mannheim, München, Luxembourg(?)
• Catching up with old friends and reminiscing on my time in Zweibrücken over smokey Schwenker
• Prague
• Staying with the family that facilitated my church's August 2011 mission trip to Prague
• Being a tourista*
• Dancing like a local ;)
• Vienna
• Meet up with the most amazing college student from St. Petersburg I have ever met- Roman (aka Russian boy)
• Being a tourista
• Hostel life
• Budapest
• Personal guided tours (Roman is a self proclaimed expert on the city)
• Hostel life
• Helsinki
• Short stay
•  Being a cold tourista
• Abbreviated hostel life
• St. Petersburg
• Staying with Roman
• Exploring the city like a local
• Escaping from Roman and trying Russian on shop clerks who will hate me for smiling
• Offending people repeatedly

So wish me luck! I truly appreciate your prayers and will also gladly accept kind thoughts, Facebook posts, blog comments, e-mails, cash or money orders.

*The word tourista is used in place of the more common "tourist" to represent a traveler rather than a vacationer and to remind the reader of the sincere appreciation the tourista has for the popular sites she is visiting.