Final Countdown!

There are just 17 more days left until I set foot back on American soil.
I've been super busy but I wanted to update you all on the craziness that has been going on as
the deadline approaches.

First:

In two days I'll finish my Cambridge CELTA (Certification of English Language Teaching for Adults)!  I've been taking this intensive course for 3 months now and it feels great that to finally be finishing tomorrow.

My TO DO list today:

1. Write up last Teaching Practice about Dreams and 2nd Conditional grammar
2. Finish all of my DF's for remaining 14 Units (this may take all day)
3. Do last online observation with write-up.

If I'm able to finish all of this before my friend Tatlihan's birthday party tonight then I'll work on editing some photos for my portfolio from the Seoul Fashion Week 2010 show. I had so many shots and video from that show that I never really got to editing them all.

Second

Preparing for Middle Earth




Passage to Middle Earth

 

  Okay, well maybe not the Middle Earth you all remember but the journey is long and arduous none-the-less and preparing for it is no easy task.



In 32 days I'll be flying out of Korea and headed for Istanbul, Turkey. The land that has been fought over for several millenia and has been a capital for the Roman Empire, Greek Empire, Latin Empire, and finally the Ottoman Empire... So one can just imagine the history and interesting culture it must still hold today. I can't wait to feast my eyes on all of the history that awaits and what has arisen today.

However, this post isn't about what I'll find there. It's about preparing to GO there. Packing. Such a dreadful chore. Such a bore!

To be honest, this is just the start of what is supposed to be an Eastern European tour. However, the more I look at this grand map of Europe there are so many places that I want to see. I want to cross ALL of it.

How will I do that. I don't know yet, but where there's a will there's a way.

This planning has been giving me quite a headache and is presenting a few issues.

The last week or so I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what I need to buy for this trip.

First, I want to be able to take some amazing photos while I"m on this trip and hopefully someday organize them into a Photography book that I can publish. I wanted to experiment with photography and some concepts while I'm there. However, this week I realized that it wouldn't be the wisest idea to spend all of my money buying new lenses and lights for my camera when I'm already taking decent photos. 

Thank goodness I came to realize that.

Second. I need to upgrade to a lighter, smaller, and faster laptop.

This is driving me INSANE!  I'm on a budget yet I do need a nice laptop.

Any help from other travel photographers or travelers in general would be greatly appreciated.

I'm thinking it's time to change to a MAC..*gasp* however they are quite expensive.

Third, I've gotta make a budget and an itinerary of some sort. At the moment, I still have no concrete plan. I just know I have a one-way ticket to adventure. I know a lot of amazing things will happen once I'm there but I definitely need a rough outline of a plan so I can budget better.

Fourth, This week it's really starting to hit me that I'm going to be seeing my girl and then leaving her for who knows how long. I have this need, this Wanderlust. I can't imagine being happy sitting still, not until I've crossed Europe. It's really starting to take a toll on me as I am trying to come to terms with my wanderlust and my love. How can I fit the two together? Can they fit together? Do I give it all up?  So many questions are coming from that and to be honest I haven't slept soundly since I began thinking about it.

I pray that it all works out well and comfortably for the both of us. This will definitely be a big obstacle that we'll face. All I know is I can't wait to see her in person in 3 weeks.

Finally, I need to get motivated and stop being so lazy. This week of vacation I should have mailed everything that's been needing to get mailed out, cleaned my house, and packed most of the things or at least organized them so I could do so minus clothes. However, I did next to nothing besides post some photos on flickr of my last photo shoot and update my blog. If I don't get my butt in gear and get responsible I hate to think how I"ll be on the road. I hope I'll be inspired enough to get things accomplished that I want to accomplish and network for friendships and possible employment.

SO the big journey, the odyssey will start in a month. I"m preparing my other blog to be a combination of travel writing, supporting charities/NGO's, and to showcase some photos. However I'm also searching the web for a good host of an actual photography portfolio.

So much to do, so little time. Lets hope I get myself organized quickly.