Nothing and everything

Huh. Even though I really have nothing but  free time (since I graduated already in the beginning of December and have had no work and nothing to study during all this time) I feel that I'm pretty much in a hurry all the time. The time has passed fast and nice while meeting friends, buying and making Christmas presents, visiting relatives, writing, playing flute, spending too much time at my old school and trying to make an application so I would have a new school to go to next autumn. But I guess it's just me: I wouldn't have to do most of these things, I just enjoy having something to do and some deadlines to look forward to.

Travel plans haven't proceeded since the last entry. I tried to get as much work as possible for January so I would have as much money as possible for the trip and also because I would like to do something for a chance instead of hanging around being social and artistic. I have also made appointments to meet many friends, though no dates have been settled yet. MasterCard hasn't arrived. I'm on the page 190 on Ulysses (which I would like to finish before I leave, total length is about 700 pages) and I have written 12 500 words of Miracles-story (on which my goal is 50 000). Soon it's Christmas and I might get some things that are necessary for the trip as Christmas presents.

What else? Frou Frou's song Hear me out that meikkuli suggested is good. Here are some other good things:
Book: Everything Joanne Harris has ever written, but right now especially Runemarks. It's a story based on Scandinavian mythology, which has some very intriguing personalities and which should be known to everyone.
Song: Scandinavian Music Group - Casablanca
Item: Candles. It's one of the longest days of the year, now is the time for extra light.

Making a checklist

I didn't fully realize how much there's to do before you can leave to the other side of the world. Of course there are some obvious things like buying flight tickets and gettind a travel insurance. But beside the obvious there's a lot of things that have to be thought about. You must buy good shoes, good backpack, a portable CD-player because you can't listen to music from your phone on the plane and books in Finnish in case you get homesick. You must also inform the United States that you're coming to visit, finish all projects you've started at home and throw a farevell-party. And you must start a blog, so that everyone back home will know how fabulous time you are having abroad and most importantly won't forget that you exist. So here's the blog.

I guess I'm pretty early, I have the flights and insurance already and most of the other stuff also. I guess I'll be in hell of a hurry when the leaving draws nearer. That's life.

So what's going on? I'm a Finnish high school-graduate (the correct term is upper secondary school, but who knows that?) and about to leave for Arizona on January 29th for three months. I will stay in Flagstaff and volunteer in the national parks and other natural areas, sleep in a tent, wander around in the beautiful scenery of the Grand Canyon, get to know people from aroud the World and try to get to know myself a little better, also. This blog exists for the reasons I mentioned before, that is to tell to my friends and relatives how it is going in the big world. If someone else feels that it's interesting to follow a 19-year-old girl while she's making her dream come true, you're welcome. I'm also going to use this place to promote good music, good books etc, just because I can. Evil laughter. Right now I want to promote a band called Frou Frou and their song Shh. Not really the kind of music I usually listen to, but I like it anyway.

And the checklist:

Flights. Check. Remember to print the tickets.
Insurance. Check.
Backpack. Check.
Sleeping bag. Check.
Shoes.
Portable CD-player.
Returning all books to library.
Informing Allianssi about flight schedules.
Travel guide about Arizona. Check.

I guess I'll come back with something I forgot from here. Until then.