Update!

Been home from admitted weekend for a week now, still can't say I'm sleeping soundly, but oh well. I guess I should get used to it.

We booked the apartment! I sent the reservation through yesterday (and found out that my bank now charges $45 per wire transfer!!!) and Alexa and Ladina (our 3rd, Swiss roomate) and I are all very excited. Now if we could only find a 4th roomate! We've been advertising and reaching out and trying, but nothing definite yet.

Finding an apartment kinda ruins mine and Alexa's plans of going there June 22-28 to look for an apartment, so she has changed her ticket to use it to fly over in August. Since I have to be in Israel on the 28th anyway, it doesn't quite make as much sense for me. Changing my ticket to a later date would end up costing double the price I originally paid. Luckily, Alex has been so kind as to let me stay in her flat in Barcelona while I am there for those 5 days so I don't have to waste money on a hotel/hostel. Although, I'm really not sure what I'm gonna do with myself for 6 days with no one to play with. I guess I'll have to learn how to entertain myself without spending money!

As for the visa, I called the FBI yesterday and they told me that my Identification Report should leave their office no later than Friday. So, in a world that's not out to screw me, the report should arrive on Friday and, if I bust my ass, I could get it notarized , blah blah blah and to the Spanish consulate a few hours before boarding my plane to Europe, which leaves at 5:45 pm from LAX. Really keeping my fingers crossed...

My life right now is consumed with wrapping itself up. I applied for a 0% interest for 12 months visa card from Capital One (they don't charge foreign transaction fees), which I'm hoping will arrive before I leave so I can put out Greece trip on it as well as my Egypt/Jordan adventure. Not having to pay that off for a year would be nice! I'm trying to cash out my AmEx points into gift cards for Banana and Zappos, since I wont have much of a shopping budget over the next two years.

Despite my professing for months that I will NOT be throwing myself a going away party, I am throwing myself a going away party. I want to see all my friends before I leave, and even with throwing this party, it looks like most people wont be showing due to prior plans. I'm trying really hard not to take it personally, but it does get me upset from time to time. I've tried to make it more 'fun' by adding a theme (Globetrotting! I think some people don't get it...) . In any case, the vodka will be flowing and the Russians will be there in full effect!

The other issue right now is that the only flight for me to take into Israel on the 28th gets me in at 1am.  So I'm spending this week reaching out to vague and distant acquaintances living in Tel Aviv to see if I can crash on their couches and potentially coax them into picking me up from the airport. Apparently, the trains don't run at night, and you're supposed to haggle with the cab drivers, but I can't haggle with anyone! Especially not in a country where I don't speak the language. I've been listening to Pimsleur Hebrew and can so far ask someone if they understand English. Not too much progress...We had a webcast for the Ashdod program on Sunday and, as I suspected, I will be the one of the oldest on the program of 20 girls and 8 guys. It's not as bad as I feared though - most of them are 1-2 years out of college, and not kids on their high school/college gap years.

Keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out and that I don't go broke in the process...