7.1.11. 6:33 P.M. Almost Halfway There.

Okay, so you can probably tell that I had a moment of panic in SF. After a few minutes I managed to calm myself down and get a better attitude about the being solo thing. I am in London now, and my phone does NOT work. it in fact thinks it is January 1, 1:33 AM. and there is no service what so ever. I still don't know how to dial internationally, so I just sat and stared at the pay phone for a few minutes while a line built up behind me. I eventually kept walking with the hopes that the much needed epiphany would come...I'm still waiting.

 I've been here for going on 5.5 hours now, and we will be allowed to board in another 2 hours and then around 10:00 PM we should be taking off. 12 hours after that we will be landing in Delhi! yay. I did not end up venturing out into the city because after we flew over it on the way here i felt that the whole 3 hours I'd get to explore, get lost, cry until someone finally helped me, and got back to the airport....it wouldn't have done London justice. So I will reserve this experience for another trip.

The malaria pill didn't make me throw up today (yay) but I did spend a good hour hoovering around various bathrooms, probably looking very suspicious, fearing that I would not be able to conquere the feeling. Eventually, I was able to convince myself that perhaps a bit of soup would help settle my stomach. So far so good. I think that between the pills and the complete lack of sleep for I don't even know how long at this point, has made my brain sluggish and numb, and I have to work very hard to even stay awake. I catch myself dozing off and startle some of the people around me.

I've taken a few pictures already, mostly out of boredom, but his computer doesn't have an option for the memory card reader...and I actually didn't think about that part for the computers I would be counting on in India. Fingers crossed!

P.S. this and the last entry cost me £2.5! haha.

6.30.11. 5:07P.M. Day 0. Flight Day.

Holy Crap. I'm sorry, I tried to say it more eloquently but reality has finally smacked me in the face. I'm sitting here at the gate in SF and I am officially on my own for this one. This fledgling Anthropologist has jumped out of the tree and is testing her wings.

6.29.11. 2:07 P.M. One Day Out.

Uuuuuuuugh. So I just started my regiment of Malaria "preventing" pills. It seems that this is one of the few times that the side effects have actually affected me. And of course, it is when the side effects are the symptoms of the disease itself. So, basically, I had a crappy morning, full of stomach pain and all around discomfort until I gave in and finally threw up. After that one episode I have felt better and was able to eat a full lunch. I'm hoping that it will be this consistent every morning because then I can conform my schedule to throwing up within an hour of taking my pill, and then going about my merry way. As sucky as it is to face the idea of vomiting daily, it would be more sucky to have the real thing for the rest of my life. This temporary, and voluntary, bout of Malaria is, hands down, more appealing that the alternative. I did find it amusing, and I am also grateful for, the instructions that said to both take the pill on an empty stomach and to drink lots of water while doing so. This made the stomach acid dilute a bit and also made only clear, smooth water come out. This may be too much information for most people, but you know what - somebody has got to talk about those things that other people don't want to talk about. And I'm willing to put my pride and modesty aside and delve into those uncomfortable subjects and experiences. I will try to be as tasteful as I can.....Try.

But yes. The day before the day has come....the antiday...tomorrow I fly of and begin my journey. I am practically all set to go.

Mein India Ja Rahi Hu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. If you notice at the bottom of this post there is a "Location" link, which right now is for California, USA, if you click on it, it'll be redirected to a new page, to google maps with the location listed. :) So you know where I am, will be, was, etc....

6.27.11. 9:32 P.M. Three Days Out.

I haven't written here in a while, a lot has happened. I moved into my new apartment, for one, and I began packing for the trip. Since the last post, I haven't really thought about what is going to happen too much. I'd decided to just let what ever happens happen and take it as it comes. I also felt that analyzing my preconceptions would only further solidify them as I would then be aware of them and therefore making an effort to act against them instead of acting as I naturally would...if that makes sense.

Anyway, I am almost all packed up, with only some minor, yet major, things left to do. Such as making multiple copies of my passport...hehe...

I've not had much anxiety during my waking hours, yet it is whilst I am defenseless in my dream state that fears are allowed to play out in Dreamland's warped interpretation of reality. In a dream two nights ago, I found myself in a supremely clean and orderly Indian city, near a beach. My oldest brother and his wife were with me, and we were standing by a car in a not-so-filled parking lot, and only a handful of people were on the streets walking. This is about as much as I can remember from the dream, and already I can tell that I want what I know I will most likely not get. I had another dream after that one, and a very similar one last night where my teeth fall out, one by one they either fall out or are easily pulled out. What this dream represents, I cannot yet quite figure out. Perhaps it is just a manifestation of the anxiety all together. But I don't know. I wouldn't have thought much of it if it didn't happen two nights in a row, or had happened before. I wonder what I'll dream about tonight.

I looked up things to do during my 9 hour layover in London the other day. I found some really neat double decker tour buses, but my flight comes in at an inconvenient time at 1:15 in the afternoon...so I'm not sure that I will be able to take one. I was thinking about just getting a travelcard for the underground and just popping up at random places around the city and seeing what I can do. My flight to India leaves at 10:00, so I'm not sure how many touristy things happen with in that time frame. If nothing else, especially if I'm not allowed to leave the airport, I hear Heathrow is huge so I would have plenty to see in there. But really, now. That would suck...having to stay in the airport for 9 hours. I saw The Terminal. I know how that goes.Tom Hanks makes it look easy. :P

P.S. I saw my first wild LIVING skunks tonight while walking on the levee. I was pretty excited. They were far enough away for none of us to be afraid of attack by the other. It was fun to not see one just as roadkill for once.