50 lb.s really isn't that much stuff!

So, I'm at the airport in front of the beautiful Aer Lingus flight desk, they don't open till 1:00, thats okay though bc I got a ride and it was infinitely better than trying to take my two 50lb bags on the El, no thanks. I sort of forgot the bags have to be exactly 50 lbs or less and spent about an hour last night trying to get them down to weight. It was pretty surprising because one would think 50lbs would be a ton of stuff, not so. I'm taking like 8 outfits, 5 books, a camcorder, my bike helmet, a sheet (for the hostels...oh yeah, fancy!), a pillow, a couple of school supplies I didn't want to rebuy, and some discs...thats it. Apparently it adds up. To kill time I'm finishing up The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand and then I have Atlas Shrugged which I've been told is even better. Nothing like a thousand page book to kill time at the airport! Okay well I'm trying to waste a ton of battery (i think mine last about 2.5 hours) so....hasta lavista!

Skype....so cool!

When I'm in Spain how I'm going to talk to everyone is mosts likely through Skype or aim. My mom and I have been playing around w/ this skype thing and it is really cool, and it is completely free! With skype you just need a headset/mic or something of that nature and you can call anyone else who has skype for free and talk, so much better than paying for a phone! Plus the quality is really amazing. So, my skype name is casey.franklin . Also I'll have aim as always, my aim is kcrox1017. So, don't be a stranger!!!

Looking for Cardboard Boxes

So, I don't have a for sure place to live at all yet, this is rather nerve wracking; however I do have a hostel reservation...woop woop. It is for four days in which time we will have hopefully found someplace to live! That is about all I have to say about that. Just one week till I leave now...I've been too nervous/scared to be excited yet, but now it might happen.

Illinois Institute of Retards

Seriously. I'm so frustrated at my school I can't wait to graduate so I never have to see/talk to the staff again. First they tell us that we won't get federal loans, then they tell us we will, then they tell us we will get them a certain date and not to worry about private loans, then they tell us that basically they know nothing...but of course they only tell us anything after we harass them relentlessly as to what the hell is going on. All this makes it nearly impossible to know what I should do, Not okay. Not okay at all. Today, they told me I should be proud bc i'm a pioneer and next year kids who want to do this won't have to stuggle to maintain sanity blah blah blah bs bs, I really don't care about this, I just want my damn money! I'm stressin. In other news I think we may have actually found a place to live...so thats kinda encouraging...kinda.

Student Visa a.k.a. EXTREME

Just so you know upfront, if you ever want to get a student visa (or probably a work one too) be prepared for the most intense information hunt of your life. It's fairly ridiculous, you have to gather (among other things) proof of mental/physical stability, proof of financial means, insurance, police records from everywhere you lived for the last FIVE YEARS, rights to first born child, etc, etc. Anyway, to make a long story short, I think my head almost exploded in the process of getting everything together for the visa, then they told me that I could pick it up about two days before I leave the country, which was vaguely reassuring at best. I talked to the consulate though and ta-DA! It is all ready to pick up! I cursed several times in excitement. Once I have my visa (going to pick up tomorrow right when consulate opens) and I have hassled my school into actually giving me my federal loans so I can pay tuition, gee thanks, then I will most definitely be able to do anything, including but not exclusively: be the bomb, run for president, beat up ninjas, find a place to live in Spain.

Student Visa aka EXTREME