"I've never been before..."

Tomorrow I leave for Europe. I should be tired, but I'm too excited to sleep. A whole month of backpacking seems pretty intimidating, now that I think about it. In fact, really intimidating. I have like 7 pairs of underwear and a lot of uncertainty about how I'm going to launder my clothes.

I'm flying Air Canada. My friend Alex says that it's the best and he's a Fulbright scholar so he should know. Plus he's brilliant in 7-12 incredibly obscure ways. Apparently Air Canada has really good vegetarian options.

I recently found this website www.couchsurfing.com which is ridiculously cool! The whole idea is to let travelers stay on your couch for free in different cities. Sounds like a dream come true! I hope to stay on some couches while I'm in Europe. If I didn't have to pay for hostels, I could go to more musicals and eat more food. Sounds like a win-win situation.

My level-headed friend Adrienne asked, "How do you know it's safe?" I don't so I answered, "What's really safe these days?"

Gmail is not working and that upsets me. I hope it didn't crash.

What matters?

Finals have begun and as I walk around this frenetic and stressed campus, I can't help wondering, "How much does it all really matter?" Of course it's important to work hard to gain a proficiency and understanding in subjects of interest, but in five years will I even remember this moment? Doubtful. I'll probably be struggling to buy food because I've taken some position as an unpaid volunteer. Truth.

I find myself constantly struggling to strike the balance between self-improvement through academia and self-improvement through experience. I enjoy both, but almost always feel guilty when I choose one over the other. That's why I'm so excited for this summer opportunity. It's the merging of two worlds I pursue independently each day.

It matters.