T minus 39 days.

Oh no! The dreaded first post. Well, according to my countdown I have just 39 days until I jet off on my adventure. I decided a while back that I would start a blog because that's what people who jet off round the world do, right? And of course all you lovely people want to read about my escapades. In all honestly, I do realise it will probably only be my parents and a few lurkers reading this blog but I can just pretend.

I am still struggling to devise a name for my blog. I'm trying to come up with a clever/witty/catchy title. What I forget is that I'm neither clever or witty or... catchy? The layout will also be changing once I can be bothered to do it. And when I have a couple of spare hours to crack out the html skills I taught myself when I was 15, when a pimped out myspace page was at the peak of it's coolness. What I'm trying to say is; 'This blog is under construction. Suggestions welcome.'

So, yes, as I said, only 39 days until I leave. And I have a list as long as my arm of things to do. I still have a million things to buy and a reluctant attitude of forking out for them. It's a bit over whelming thinking about all the things I need to do. Those who have had the privilege of living/working with me will know that I'm a bit to laid back when it comes to important stuff (namely uni work and backpacking). I don't really have any sense of urgency until the pressure is on. And, well, the pressure is now on. There a some pretty major things to get done.

1. Get a visa for China. Pretty major as that is our first destination... Don;t think we'll make it to Vietnam without that one.
2. Pack up my belongings that I won't be taking with me. This will minimise the theft and breakages of my things courtesy of my siblings. I say siblings but really I just mean Becky.
3. Give my notice in at work. I have a sneaky suspicion that the bosswoman may already know. She stood by desk today, said 'Have you got any gossip for me?' and looked at me expectantly like I knew some big secret. She probably only wanted the lowdown of the latest office shenanigans but my paranoia told me she wanted to know about me leaving. I think they call it guilt. Or fear. I'm not sure which.

I think it's finally dawned on me how soon I am leaving. This week I said goodbye to my Dad as he will be heading back to Qatar on Saturday and gets back to the UK just after I leave. I keep changing the word 'goodbye' in that sentence. Goodbye sounds a bit weird so it was more of a 'see you later'. Anyway, I got a bit sad thinking that I'm not going to see him for a very long time. And then I started thinking about how I'm going to miss so much of Erik growing up. I know I'm only going for up to a year but babies grow pretty fast! He will probably be walking when I get back. Then I remembered when I went to America for 5 weeks on my own one summer and how I cried at the airport when I left my Mum. Pathetic, I know. But it's the simple things you miss.