Before the Big Flight

So, as with most things, I'm feeling a little anxious about my trip. Most of you know that I'll be studying in Salzburg for five weeks (yes, I know, I already graduated...but who doesn't want to sing where Mozart lived?). Singing "Un bel di vedremo" from "Madame Butterfly" on the hills of Austria - is this really happening?! And, despite the fact that it seemed July 7th would never come, it appears that this Thursday is indeed, July 7th. Did I say I've only flown twice? And never for longer than, say, three hours? People keep telling me to bring my ipod, but I still haven't gotten around to getting one. I'll probably bring a notebook and finally finish "Jane Eyre," which has been taking a lot longer than I anticipated...

Still to do: get some Euros for the taxi ride, make copies of my passport, buy a new skirt (necessary? no.), figure out which books to bring, and if it's really worth it to pack my sneakers. Who wants to be in the mountains in flip-flops? But if there's one thing seasoned travelers have been telling me, it's "Don't pack too much! Don't! Whatever you do!"

Things I can't wait to do: find the coziest, smallest coffee shops and dig in to write about everyone I see, swim in the river that divides the city (is that allowed?), study voice again after a month and a half, see the fortress overlooking Salzburg, and finally realize that the world outside the North Shore exists.