You only have to look behind you.

I've been cleaning out my room in preparation for leaving the country and, weirdly, regardless of how useless an object is; I can't throw it out. I have this idea in my head that Future Me will come back and have these wise ideas about what is worth keeping and discarding. I guess it's this hopeful concept that travelling and living independently will teach me what is and isn't necessary because right now I have no clue.

I finished up at work on Friday. Oddly enough I don't feel like I'm going back there when I get back. I don't know what I would do instead though so I'll blame this current feeling of mine on the turmoil of emotions that accompany the lead-up to going on a long sabbatical from regular life.

My "goodbye" party was last night and it was good. Difficult to sit through for many reasons, but good. It really did help me get my head together about what is going to happen now. People put up with my insane mood swings and I really am lucky to have them in my life and saying they'll miss me. Plus they like my baking.

Today I intend to put the last of my things in boxes and start packing. Blah! The realness is kicking in now. I have this list of things to do that jumps from "buy high-waisted denim shorts" (I think I really have gone crazy) to "check everything on travel documents". Oh, the joy of panicking.

I've felt numb and exhausted for a while now, so much so that I feel almost annoyed that going overseas is interrupting my worrying about life and my future and the people in it. I'm sure it will pass though.

I hope this wasn't too much of an irritating first post on what I hope will be a slow-starting but eventually vaguely interesting travel blog.