16 days!

So not counting today (because it's pretty much over) or the day I leave (because I leave at 8 in the morning so it doesn't count) I go to China in just 16 days! That sounds like a really long time and a really short time all at once. I can't quite decide how I feel about this number.

I have pretty much finished all the things that had to be started by a certain date, ordered my glasses, sent off my passport for my visa and so on. The only other thing I still have to look into is maybe getting some shots but I just got all of them done 2 years ago so I know I don't need at least one of them. I think most of those things are good for at least 5 years. But it's best to be safe so I'm going tomorrow to ask about it.

My passport should be done on the 22nd. It was a very stressful process. We kept getting different information and were finally told "Well just send it in and we will see what they say at the embassy." I do not have time for resubmit so I'm glad that it has gone through. I figure if it was going to be rejected I would have heard something by now. It is unfortunate that you have to apply for a student visa no more than 30 days before you leave. It's good for 3 months after you arrive but if you get it more than 30 days before you go it expires. I could have dealt with this months ago but it's such a short amount of time you really can't afford for something to go wrong.

To be honest this week has been really hard. I lost a much loved pet and a very close family friend within 24 hours of each other. It was devastating and I feel bad for thinking it because obviously I would much rather have my pet and friend live long lives but I am glad that this happened before I left. It would have been so hard to deal with this during my first few days abroad. I know there is a good chance that I will have to deal with a loss while I am abroad but hopefully not this much in such a short amount of time.

My crappy week aside I'm super excited! I'm starting to work on packing. I just have a few more things to get. I still need some clothes, most of the things I own are way too thick to be worn in places with high humidity. But that's about it. It's all down to the fine details now.