Final payments

---

Payed the final balance for my trip on Monday - OMG! its all becoming a bit real now. I have just over 7 weeks left and feel completely unprepared. I feel like I have no idea where I'm going, what I want to see, how I'm going to get around, how much money I need to take with me. I'm hoping these are all normal fears for a first time traveller and they will pass. The thing that is most scary, is that no matter how many time I listen to my 'quick and easy way to learn Russian' and 'Chinese Mandarin made simple' or whatever they are called, my soggy, mashed up, over worked brain will not take it in! So I'm going to be stuck in a foreign land on my own with a little book of pictures to point at and lots of gesticulating and facial expressions to get me through. I have been thinking about a tip from a friend, might help, but it appears only 90 year olds can really get away with it, she said her Grandfather just adds -a to the end of everything ie; 'toileta' or 'restauranta', very loudly and with a slight accent - think I may get laughed out of the country!
I have my travel vaccinations today- well some of them at least, going to be made into a pin cushion by a mean nurse! How do I know she is mean - I'm a nurse! and nurses weilding needles, however gently, are mean in the eyes of the patient, and this time thats me!
Well, I'm starting to ramble a little, and the trials and tribulations of a first time travelling nurse about to be stabbed with some vaccines are not always interesting, so I'll sign off now. Bye!!!!

---