It's really happening!

So we bought our tickets to Spain!  Me, Nick, Lenny and Sarai will be leaving the States September 19th! We bought our tickets on STA Travel.  My one way ticket from NYC - Madrid - Malaga was only $481.90! The site gives students, youth under 26 and faculty great deals on flights! We also looked into tickets through Student Universe which also gives students really great deals.  For a half a second we looked into flights from Cheapoair, but read a Lot of horrible reviews about it.  So we went with STA Travel and so far no problems! I've called their 1-800 number a few times and while I was on hold for a noteworthy amount of time (although it is a 24 hour line and only a few people work the phones after hours) when a representative came on the phone they were very patient and helpful!

And even though the program manual suggests to not purchase your plane tickets until you have your Visa in hand I really didn't feel comfortable waiting until September to buy my plane tickets.  My Visa appointment isn't until August 3rd because all the NYC slots were snatched up before I got to the appointment site, and according to the website the visa process may take up to 6 weeks! So I said, forget it; I'm getting my ticket while it's still cheap.  And we're all going to be on the same flights! Lenny and Sarai will be taking a flight from Orlando to JFK and from there we will be venturing across the Atlantic to begin our adventures in Europe!

And being the compulsive planner that I am, I have already begun thinking about packing.  Unfortunately most airlines will only permit one suitcase to check (free of charge) with a maximum weight of 50lbs, and $60 extra per bag and $20 for each overweight bag you bring.  So it is crucial that I fit all my life necessities into one bag! And I figured out a really great way to save space and not spend a lot of money on special bags! I know this may sound a little ghetto, but I bought the Hefty One Zip gallon bags and stuffed my clothes into them by merely kneeling on them. Three bucks for 17 bags and no vacuum necessary, and it works just the same: all the air gets suctioned out instantly!

(Sometimes I surprise myself with my cheap, innovative, alternatives! lol)
And so far the Ziploc's are working magic!

half my wardrobe

Gosh is this really my life?! I'm so excited!