Anticipation
The most wonderful part of my compulsory-butt-parkage here in EA is all of the time it gives me to worry and/or muse. I have developed three primary trip-related habits:
1. Pull passport out of purse, where it really shouldn't be but is anyway. Turn it over and over, occasionally opening it to stroke visa lovingly. Try to avoid looking at terrible picture of me. Finis.
2. Realize how absolutely shameful-and-elementary my Spanish is after four months of atrophy. Try to formulate mental Spanish conversations in preparation. Realize too late that all my grammatically-perfect responses will be useless if I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. Give up.
3. Keep spending that cash, girl! Despite the fact that I'll need to exchange buxx for Euros at the airport and don't have an ATM nearby, it is all right to spend, say, $1.19 on a Diet Coke with Lime and then $1.09 on a Diet Coke and then $.65 on a Diet Coke. We will worry about breaking the three-can-a-day Diet habit AFTER I get to Spain and realize that it's that nasty "New Coke" crap. Also, plans to go to the Fair (for Dukies: the Erie County Fair is the second-largest county fair in the country and rivals/exceeds the NC State Fair in awesomeness) and spend $25-$50 should not be curtailed. It's the FAIR! COMEON!
3b. Cash-related: Keep thinking of things to buy/bring (ie. slippers, GRE study book, Cam's suggestion of the Dark Tower series) and then realizing that I DON'T HAVE A JOB (and, by the way, that the Duke Store is unlikely to mail me either of my last two paychecks. Which they need to do. That's like $130 right there). Boohoo. Allison does not equal budget.
Actually, at this point I am the most worried about the Coke thing. Oh, the headaches that result from caffeine withdrawal! Oh, my disgust with Pepsi! Oh, I miss Duke and vending machines on points!
posted by Allison @ 5:04 PM
4 Comments:
But espresso doesn't pop out of vending machines in too-cold aluminum cans that burn your fingers! Portable = good.
try starbucks doubleshots! :)
-jess
They do actually have espresso machines, and you can also burn your fingers there, if that's what you are looking to do. I remember CocaLight being ubiquitous everywhere I've been in Europe, although I've never been to Spain...
I can get on the DukeStores people if you want--who should I talk to?
you should just watch DVDs in Spanish and call that practice. Use the Spanish subtitles at the same time.
I'm so darn helpful! haha
I think my 29346729382 consecutive viewings of "Talk to Her" sans subtitles constitute preparation. Hopefully. And I can say "Coca Lite" with an amazing Mexican accent - maybe it'll suffice in Spain, too. And they have Fanta Limon, too! That alone should get me through till October or so.
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