Last weekend, for Mother's Day, I went to my grandparents house in Temecula. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family that gives me unconditional encouragement and support. The suitcase that they found for me is absolutely perfect! It's larger than I expected and in pristine condition. Bonus! After discussing the inventory of items I want to bring to Perth with my eldest sister, Katie, and my Oma, I realized that the little things like books aren't really necessary objects. We decided that they were items of comfort and not objects that I couldn't live without. Books can be found anywhere, and lucky for me Jamie's sister, Karis, loves to read so I'm sure I might be able to borrow a book or two if the need is really there. Clothes, shoes, and toiletries are the only essentials I'll be bringing with me to the Southern hemisphere...and maybe a few picture frames...and electronics...and the big stuffed animal elephant my dad gave me for Christmas? Oh dear, here we go again.
Something a bit easier to pack I'll definitely need to bring is a confirmation printout from the health insurance company. After the swap meet a few weeks ago, my dad and I sat down and looked through dozens of websites to find the lowest rates with the highest amount of coverage for Australian visitors. We decided that a company called "Bupa" ( I know it sounds funny to me too) had what I was looking for. The insurance package I chose costs $26.44 per "fortnight," or per every two weeks. It covers pretty much every hospital stay need I'll need (or hopefully not need), and also covers extras like doctor visits, general dental, optical, pharmacy, and well living, plus much more. What is well living you ask? That includes gym memberships, yoga, pilates, swimming lessons, first aid courses, etc! Crazy, right?! The one thing that I am a bit concerned about is the fact that excess co-pays are not covered. To be honest, I don't know very much at all when it comes to medical details and what-not but I know that a co-pay is the amount you have to pay before the insurance takes over...right? So that means I could pay $300 for one doctor visit? Or more!? Everyone cross your fingers that I don't get sick or have an accident that involves the hospital because this stuff goes right over my head!
To add to the rest of this madness, I was recently told that the English class I had taken last year, does not meet the requirements for graduation and GE certification. What does this mean? It means I can't get the degree that I've been working very diligently to attain because I need to take a class that does meet the requirement. The options: Take the class during summer and have less time to spend with my friends and family before leaving, or I could wait until the Fall 2012 semester and take it as an online class while in Perth. The latter being my first choice. As silly as it sounds, this trip is about gaining confidence in my independence. I hope to someday sooner than later to gain residency in Australia so that I can attend a university and get my bachelors degree. Yes, I went to SFSU last year so I know how it is to not have my mommy holding my hand the whole way through, but that was only one year. This is life I'm talking about. I want to prove to myself more than anyone that I am able to do this. I digress; the reason I want to do the online class while in Perth is to have a small intro to how well I handle myself in a life where I am both a full-time student (or part-time for the time being), and simultaneously as a wide-eyed tourist where the new continent is my playground! Make sense? I feel like I'm trying to hard to make my point and convince you all that I really do have some method to this madness, so I'm going to end with my favorite quote as a reminder to myself: "Without a struggle, there can be no progress."
No convincing or explaining necessary! You are doing this for you and no one else, and thus it does not matter what anyone thinks or whether they "understand." It's irrelevant!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Next time we talk as me about "transitionary items." It's the idea that you take a couple things (like picture frames or the stuffed elephant) that remind you of home, so that the transition is a little easier and it's not "cold turkey." Transitionary items are important, but be careful to not go overboard. Remember how full mom packed our carry-on bags (with toys) when we went to Holland-- and then we used NOTHING out of them? She wanted to make sure we had enough comforts of home, but after a certain point it becomes a little much.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think that toiletries are something that you can skimp on, as I'm sure Jamie will have shampoo and conditioner for you to use ;)
Think: out of sight, out of mind. If you don't have all of the amenities in front of you to see, you're probably not going to miss them (meaning that 58-count eyeshadow box might not be necessary...or perhaps it's the 4 different perfumes). You're good at doing what you can with what you have.
Ok, enough of my rambling-- I'll get off of my soapbox now. Perhaps reading a book about simplifying would make you feel a little better? There are some good ones on amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/The-Less-Minimalist-Living-Guide/dp/0984087311/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3N4UTY2Y3SZDN&colid=2VSBKKYHWZM06)
Awesome post and awesome input. So much to be thinking about. I agree with Katie. This is your life and you are doing what you want to do. As we've talked about before, there is no right choice. They are all right choices. They are different choices - each choice brings a different outcome but there is no one right outcome either. Now I'm rambling.... :) Love you.
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