My first handstand!

It just says click. 

I have tried getting up to handstands before at yoga. Several times. But the mere thought of it has always terrified me. Inversions (as exercises where your head and heart are lower than your legs are called in yoga) just seemed so scary. And especially handstands. What if I would land on my head? Or topple over in the wrong direction? In theory, both are possible if one goes up into a handstand with too much speed. 

In practice, most students do not get their legs even close to straight up and do for sure not risk going over. And this is where you would have found me until now. Trying to lift my legs up and getting perhaps half way, before dropping down again. 

Scary, scary, scary. 

But not today. Today I actually made it completely upside down! Of course with a little bit of support, especially moral such, from the yoga teacher whose presence and reassuring 'hold' made me overcome my fear. But the real work was all me. Both in getting up there and in staying all straight upside down - with strong feet, strong hands and a strong core. And it felt like I could have stayed like that for hours (or rather perhaps minutes). The only reason I went back down again was to allow the teacher to help others. But I didn't even feel tired. Instead the experience made me feel energised and happy and strong and full of confidence. 

A great experience which I am so happy to have made as it allowed me to remember that anything is possible as long as I set my mind to it, that I try over and over again until it works, that I build my knowledge and strength, and that I overcome my fears of failing, and falling. And of course, that I have a supporting hand from a person that I trust. 

Anything is possible. I can do anything that I set my mind to. I am strong. I am great. I am a person who just made my first handstand and got praise from my wonderful yoga teacher twice after for its perfect composition. 

I can!

The perfect end after a not to great of a day job wise. My goal for today's yoga practice was to feel stronger. And that was more than achieved as this experience made me feel stronger both physically and mentally. 

And it was the perfect final class with the world's best yoga teacher before she leaves to work in Myanmar for six months. I really hope that she comes back and takes up her classes again. But in the meantime, I will continue to do yoga even if I don't find as good a teacher, and I will continue to feel confident in myself. The perfect goodbye gift from the perfect teacher. I might even continue to try doing handstands. Because....

I can do anything!

Den här bloggposten innehåller nötkräm

Det pågår en tyst katastrof. En katastrof som varje dag dödar 21 000 barn under fem års ålder. De flesta barnen dör av näringsbrist, diarré eller andra sjukdomar. De dör av orsaker som med enkla medel skulle kunna förebyggas. Det som saknas är vaccin, medicin, rent vatten och näringsriktig mat. Saker som UNICEF kan leverera. Saker som vi tillsammans kan leverera.

Photo: UNICEF

Den här bloggposten är mitt sätt att bidra. För i och med att jag publicerar den här bloggposten blir inte bara fler uppmärksammade på den tysta katastrofen utan dessutom innebär det att re:member skänker sex påsar av den nötkräm som UNICEF använder vid behandling av undernärda barn. Tre påsar nötkräm om dagen är allt som krävs för att ett barn som lider av undernäring ska kunna överleva.

Har du också en blogg och vill göra något viktigt i jul? Hämta bloggmaterial här! Tillsammans räddar vi barns liv.

Ps. Vill du köpa fältprodukterna som räddar barns liv, besök UNICEFs gåvoshop. Du kan välja ett snyggt gåvobevis designat av bland annat Tove Styrke eller Elsa Billgren att ge bort i julklapp.

Sorry for the Swedish, but this was too important of an opportunity to help UNICEF help malnurished children for me to pass up on. 

Not like in the movies, but with hopes for a happy ending.

Things missing in my life right now:

• An apartment. We only have a few months left in the one we live in now, the one I love, the one I dream about a future in. Looking for another one feels rather depressing. 
• A job. Always thought I had quite a good CV, but realising more and more for every day that go by that my experience is worth nothing. That my interest on the work market is close to nil. 
• A cure for a specific disease that I would so want to be able to cure. 
• A best friend. The kind they always have in movies. The kind you can call up in the middle of the night, who's always there for you. The kind you want to share everything with, from joys to sadness, and with whom you would never hesitate to pick up the phone because you're worried do 'disturb them'. The kind where you can knock on the door unannounced and be welcomed with open arms. 
• A goal / orientation / bright future. Something to look forward to, something to plan for, something to live for...

There are other things of course, but these feel like the most important ones, the most sad/depressing/stressful ones. This last year my life was so much easier and the fall back to reality is still going on and hurting that much more than I had ever thought possible.

Not to say that it is all bad. I do have a lot of things to be happy for, such as:

• A love. The big love with a big L. Who is also my best friend and the only one who knows all that's going on in my life. A bit too much perhaps to shoulder for just one person though... 
• A great bunch of friends. Friends with whom to share a nice meal. Friends with whom to go to the gym. Friends with whom to party. Friends who jump on a plane to come and visit. Friends who cares in their way. Good friends, great friends even. 
• My health. Well, mostly at least. 
• An amazing year of travelling to remember, to warm me up, to put a smile on my face.

More good than bad perhaps. Just missing someone to talk to about the parts that are not so great right now. Someone who can take her/his time. Someone who doesn't get tired of my current down period but allows me to express my concerns, my worries, my feelings of belittlement. Someone who doesn't tell me off for not having done something as I stand under an ever higher reaching mountain of things 'to do'.

Oh well. I guess all is not like in the movies.

Free outside cinema by the lake in Geneva

From 15 July to 22 August, Cinétransat is back for another year of watching cool movies for free with the lake in the background, a glass of cold rosé in one hand, and some picnic food in the other.

Long live the summer!!!

Travel mantra

This is the mantra that I am going to try to live after during my 12 months of travelling the world:

"A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." Lao-Tzu

A bit like live life day by day... Let's see if I manage :D

Time to see a doctor?

Woke up at 2 am as I could not breath, spluttering and coughing until air finally made it to my lungs. Relief!

But hey, what happened? Now that air is flowing down my lungs why am I still coughing, and coughing, and coughing? My body contorting and folding in on itself. I raid my old medicine in search for something to calm the cough - but in vain. Despairing the only solution in the middle of night is a dafalgan - hoping it will tranquilise somewhat my body that seems stuck on repeat - and end up sleeping in the sofa half sitting up.

What a lovely night.

Love is blind and madness, well madness guides love

This is a beautiful old story that I found a couple of years ago and sent to a friend as I found it very suiting for both of us at that time. Well, she is now about to give birth in Zambia and is madly, but luckily not too blindly, in love - so perhaps today it suits us both even more than ever.

Long time ago, when only feelings and thoughts were living on Earth, but no human's minds to inhabit, they were really bored, because they had no one to play with.
So Enthusiasm proposed: "Lets play something altogether, ok? Come on!! Lets play something, lets play something, lets play something!!!"
And Reason demanded: "It might be a good idea, but what are we going to play at?"
And Enthusiasm answered: "Ea!! I have no idea, i have no......i have no.....how do you call it?"
"Imagination, you have no imagination at all. But i do. Why don't we play hide and seek?" - said Imagination.
"And how shall we play that?" - asked Reason.
"Easy, one of us seeks and tries to find all the rest of us, who hides everywhere." - explained Imagination.
So they asked Madness to be the seeker, and everybody hid where they pleased.
And Madness started to look for all of the rest of his companions and eventually he found them all, but one. He found Loneliness in the center of the largest desert, Shame at the very bottom of the deepest cave, Imagination behind a rainbow, Rage in a vulcano.....and so he continued until he found them all, but one. He couldn't find Love, neverminding how hard he tried. So he sat in a rock and started to think really hard and by chance Imagination touched him and suddenly he had an idea: "Love must be hidden inside the roses, it would be so her to hide inside the flowers."

He started to investigate the roses then, but the bushes were too thick and light didn't get in so he couldn't see a thing.
He thought of taking a long stick and starting to punch the roses' bushes with it to see if there was soembody hidden inside them, and immediately picked one from the land and did it.
All of a sudden he heard a long and painful scream: "My eyes, my eyes!!" - were the words of Love, coming out from the roses' bushes. She was holding her eyes with her two hands, and red blood was coming down her arms.
"What happened?" - asked Madness, with Anxiety and Fear by his side.
"You blinded me with your stick. I can not see" - said Love, with tears mixed with blood.
Madness came to his knees and begged for her forgiveness, knowing nothing he could do was going to restored her sight again.
And Love?
Love forgave him, of course, because Love forgives everything from anybody. After all, she can't do other thing, right? But the fact remained the same, she couldn't see anymore, she was blind.
Madness was so thankful for her forgiveness that made a solemn promise to her: "I swear that from today until the end of our existences i will be your guide" - were his words while taking carefully her arm.

And so it happened to be that from that ancient day on, Love is blind and Madness is her guide.

Things that make me smile...

Today's post by my friend Kinitry because it sends out such a vibe of happiness :D

I got a 'love letter' via mail

"This is sooooooo depressing!!!!!!! It materializes even more the fact that you are leaving!! :( That means no more lovely lunches, no more lovely tapas dinners, or scandale wine dinners, or lets get drunk latino dinners (and I was hoping we would start those dinners again), and no more lovely gooooey swedish choccy cake (now that’s really depressing!). And no more wandering into your room when I need a chat or to clear my head, and no more admiring your lovely clothes every day like a fashion show! Ahhhhhhh I could go on! :(((

Lucky I still think ure coming back.---- well u had better!!! And geneva is small so we can still have work lunches when u r back :)"

Now, what does one say to that? :D

it's out!!!

I finally told my boss today, so it is now official, the reality, no way back - we now have to go travel!!!

Scary, fun, exciting, freaky, crazy, lovely, unreal, so so real...

The world, here we come :D

Caves ouvertes 2010

The fabulous 'caves ouvertes' event takes place on Saturday 29 May in the vineyards around Geneva this year.

Free wine tasting, super good atmosphere, something not to miss if you're around!

Cheers and enjoy!

'So, have you told your boss yet? '

Here I am, another day closer to departure, to my last day at work, to my big gap year. Another day when I started the day building up my courage to come in and talk to my boss to tell him about my plans, and another day passed without it being possible :(

I have long been hesitating when to talk with him. Back a year ago or so, when we set the month for departure to September, I was thinking to tell my boss at least 5 months in advance! To be nice so they have enough time to find a replacement, and to allow me to plan more openly.

Then this year started up and 5 months in advance finally sounded way too early!! So I settled on 4 months. But then realised it was best to wait until the first days in May, as the company then have to pay me at least until end of July, which is one month before when I want to leave - so ok.

Hence first week of May was the decision from my side, Friday to be exact. Friday, to then have the weekend to feel better in case the discussion went bad. Friday, as we can leave at 16 on Fridays and hence I could have gone for an early escape.

Friday morning I get into work and then spend the whole day trying to find a good moment to go in and talk to my boss. But he has one thing after another, and seems to be in a foul mood. My one colleague that knows my plans tells me to wait for another day when my boss will be in a happier mood. But I feel so pumped up that I persist.

However, as I go in and ask if he has a moment, I get told that actually he did not have time to speak with me, but 'how about Monday?'.

Hence all that mental preparation and stress for nothing. Just to go home and wait out the weekend, feeling more and more stressed, not really arriving to relax, irritated, dreaming nightmares about spiders and sharks (my 2 biggest phobias) and in general not very happy nor very motivated about traveling as first I have to tackle this big obstacle.

But Monday it is! So another mental preparation yesterday over the phone with my mother, and then this morning by myself before coming in.

For what? For just another anticlimax as my boss is off sick today!

And tomorrow? Another day or anther disappointment?

Is this not supposed to happen? Am I not supposed to tell him in advance but wait until the 2 months notice that I have to give? Or am I not supposed to go on this trip? What are all these omens? Should I read something into the fact that I do not manage to speak to my boss, that I dream about spiders and sharks - 2 things that I might very well have to face during my trip (especially the spiders, big, fat, hairy ones on that)...

Well, screw the omens! I am set to leave for this year-long travel, for this experience of a lifetime, and I am going to talk to my boss, all omens put aside!!

Well, as long as he one day comes back to the office that is....

Wish me luck!

What day is today?

Do you know what day it is today? Or rather what month we have entered?

Yes, of course you do, you think. The month is May, and the day, well the 3rd.

But that is where you are wrong!! Or, not wrong per see, but wrong for 'me' :)

For me, today means that I have less than 4 months left at work (although, they think I'll grow old here still), and just a few days more than 4 months left before departure!!!!!!!!!

4 months, I hear you say! Well, 4 months is nothing some of you will think - "how come you still have not been to get vaccinations, where is your departure flight booking, how come your apartment is still full to the ceiling with stuff that you really need to get ride of or at least pack away? And who will take over the apartment once you leave? How about banking systems while you're away? And how come you have not yet told your boss? And who will feed the cat?!"

Well, 4 months is a 'lifetime' some some others will think. "What is the stress about? All that needs to be done can be done in a month. Heck, less than a month. That's what I did, before setting off with a 5 kilo, 25 liters backpack for 3 years of walking around the earth. And screw the cat, it can feed itself!" :)

As for me, 4 months feels both like an eternity - it will never come - and as "panic, panic, 4 months is practically tomorrow and I have 2-years worth of things to do before I leave!!! Btw, where is that damn cat - I haven't seen it for months!"

On the one hand, I have finally kind of decided where to start the trip (in Cuba, although my doubts were raised again yesterday - but more about that in a later post), and we have decided where to meet up (in Costa Rica) - well, most probably. Hence, I can now start looking for flight tickets, Spanish language schools, the first accommodation, and draft my travel plan (to be amended a thousand times during the trip I fear / hope). We have looked at backpacks and, although not yet decided, I have at least 2 that I like. I have my trekking shoes, and most of the money needed for the trip. And I am planning to speak to my boss on Friday!!!!

On the other hand, I'm a nervous wreck! I'm about to speak to my boss, in just a few days, and give up my indeterminate contract! Half of my friends think that I'm crazy - how can I even think about leaving a safe, sure employment, where I'm well treated with a good salary and quite good prospects, especially as it is so so difficult to find a new job, and will be even more difficult after 'playing' for one full year! Luckily the other half is more understanding :)

I'm about to take off in just a few months to travel the world with only a backpack!!! This for a girl who owns perhaps 50 pairs of shoes/boots, 40 handbags, and a million clothes! From about 6 wardrobes full of stuff to one small backpack of 50 or 55 liters, weighing maximum 12-13 kilos. Quite a chock!

I'm about to take off to go into countries whose best features, according to the travel guide, besides beautiful rain-forests and loads of nature, are HUGE SPIDERS! Did I ever mention that I am a complete and utter Arachnophobe? To such an extent that I once almost killed myself trying to kill a 'big' one for Swiss standard. One that will probably look like the baby of the baby of one of the monsters I will encounter on my trip.... (goosebumps all over my body just thinking about it).

I'm about to take off, leave everything behind and finally live my dream!!!!!!!!!!!! It's scary, it's wonderful, it's insane, it's a dream come true, it's my life and my choice.

(For the cat lovers out there: don't worry, no cat was harmed in writing this story. And I'm sure the cat will feed itself, or perhaps I should bring it along and it can feed on huge spiders... )

The Backpack!!! Supposedly one of the two most important gear for The Trip

Today we spent most of the day looking at backpacks for The Trip (by the way, did anyone else realise that there are only 4.5 months left as of today??), walking for what felt like ages, spending more than 2 hours in one shop, before finally coming home and dying in the sofa.

How will we walk for full days once on the trip?
And how will I carry a backpack for several hours, when my lower back started hurting after 10 minutes with a pack only weighing 3 kilos?
And did anyone actually understand what the movie 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' was all about???? We for sure did not!

Anyway, this post was supposed to be about backpacks.

So, we have not yet made our choices. But out of the ones I have tried so far (a couple a few months ago, and 5, I think, today), these 2 are my clear favorites at the moment:

The 'Deuter Traveller SL 55 + 10 L'




















The Traveller is 55 litres plus 10 liters in the removable Daypack, 3 kilos heavy and light grey. Its advantages is that the Daypack is a lot better, smarter constructed, with ventilated back, hooks to hang it from the front of the main pack, and Camelbag drink-system. And well the 55 litres is bigger, and the material a bit sturdier.


And the 'Deuter Transit 50 L'



















The Transit is 50 litres plus a 12 litre removable Daypack, 2.2 kilos, and the one in the shop is dark green. The Daypack is not as nice, but the main pack's advantages is that it is lighter - allowing me 800g of other stuff compared to the Traveller, it is almost 100 chf cheaper, and well it's smaller - but that means it will force me to pack lighter.

Any comments on which one to go for? Or other suggestions?

I want around 55 litres, as light as possible, no wheels, with hidden straps for flying.

One of the two most difficult choices so far...

Today I am happy about...

Today I am happy:

- That my lovely best J survived her open heart surgery and is already back home with her family - her husband, her little daughter and her baby boy - and that she seems to be doing well. I so wish I could be there to visit, but am so relieved that everything went well, I now have 20 kilos of less weight on my shoulders. Real happiness!!

- That I spend the whole weekend dancing at Fete de la danse in Geneva :) 5h of dancing including a great Flamenco class, a super fun, sweet dripping, smile breaking, crazy Bollywood class, a knee-breaking Capoeira class, and some Cuban Salsa so that I finally have learned some basic steps to avoid getting frustrated dancing with my lovely N who already had taken Salsa lessons a few years ago. Great fun weekend! And a great concept - for 10 chf, about 7 EUR, you get to go to as many dance classes that you want for 2 days. Lovely :) I had originally planned to do a Hip hop class as well but was too tired by then.

- That the hurt in every little muscle in my body due to all that dancing has finally passed and I can sit down anew without crying out ;)

- That I have the best boyfriend in the world who came dancing with me and tried all the classes, and had fun!! I'm extremely lucky to have a boyfriend who is not just a great guy in oh so many ways, but who also enjoys dancing and who likes to do fun stuff with me! Thank you!

- That this last week has sported real summer weather: 20 degrees last weekend, 27! today and sun sun sun! Lovely and exactly what the doctor ordered after the long exceptionally cold and snowy winter.

- That I am soon leaving to travel the world - only 4 months left now :)

- That before I leave, some friends will travel here to spend some time with me :D

- That darling M's hippo has turned out to be a big baby - only 6 more weeks or so and the big baby should actually see the world! Wish I could be there though!

- That all my friends and family are healthy and well!!

strange dreams....

Seems people around me are having bizarre dreams lately...

It started with my boyfriend having some kind of a post-PhD finalization stress dreams, wakening us up several nights in a row during the Easter break. One night at around 4 am he suddenly turned on the bedside lamp. The next morning I asked him what he was thinking, and supposedly in his dream something was convincing him that he had to turn on the light, and although he realised that it didn't make sense, the urge was too big. I am just lucky that the dream urged him to turn on the light and not to do something worse.....

Another night, well have you ever been awoken by an applause followed by BRAVO being yelled into the night. First I got scared, thinking there was someone in our hotel room, but then I realised it was my insane boyfriend ;)

Luckily it seems that his dreams has calmed down by now, so we actually get to sleep the whole night without bizarre interruptions.

But the bizarre dreams have not ended with him calming down. Did you for example know that I am getting married on 28 May of this year, a Friday?!?!?!?! Hmmmm well at least according to the dream of a friend of mine, although it's strange that I am not yet aware of this ;) She dreamed that we were a bunch of girls having a chat and suddenly I showed my hand with a beautiful ring with several diamonds and informed them all that I was getting married on 28 May this year. Well, sometimes life is full of surprises, but this would really be a surprise for me, and I would guess quite a big surprise for my boyfriend as well!

Well getting married in a rush still sounds better than my last dream where I was being fired for not doing my job correctly... The dream was really quite uncomfortable with my boss having hired several people to go through my work and check what I did on internet, going through my personal mails etc. Could the fact that we watched 'Up in the air' yesterday evening have something to do with this dream? And perhaps the fact that I am stressed at work at the moment and feeling like I'm lagging behind, plus the fact that I am stressed about soon having to talk to my boss about quitting...

Oh well, perhaps the month of April is a month of dreams...

BRAVO!!!!!!!!

HE DID IT!!!!!!!!!

Did what, I hear you say? And who 'he'?

My darling lovely N is now a Dr N!!!! The best ever and now with a title to show it off :D

My Doctorinho ;)

Trekking shoes - the big dilemma

I received a pair of these for my birthday. I have to go and change them to a bigger size, but then started to wonder if perhaps another kind would be better...

Many sites suggest to get a pair of hiking shoes - something in between the shoe I got and a real hiking boot. A colleague also suggested this - but of course, she thinks I am going to use them for hikes in the mountains :D

My N and my lovely friend Mims suggest the kind of shoe that I received, a pair of Asics Gel Moriko WP, as they are lighter to carry when not used, less warm, and probably I am not going to hike too much in difficult terrains anyway.

I am leaning towards choosing these Morikos, but would really appreciate advice!

When is it appropriate to inform them at work?

Continuing on the theme of 'only 5 months left WTF?', I would love some advice on when to inform my boss that I am leaving.

Originally - meaning months ago - I had decided to inform him about 5 months or so before leaving. Originally!! There is NO way that I am ready to inform him in the next week or two!

Legally, I have to inform the company 2 months before my last working day - hence by 30 June.

But I want to be nice and inform them, not the HR but my boss and colleagues, more in advance to allow them to find a replacement and to organise themselves, especially since I want to leave on 31 August, hence right in the middle of vacation months here.

I am also increasingly starting to feel like I'm living a lie at work. I have told all my friends about this trip, but none of my colleagues although I talk to them every day, lunch with them etc. I am starting to feel bad when we discuss future projects, when I come with ideas for new projects when I know I won't be here to implement them. Or when we discuss reporting deadlines in the fall, meetings and outings and other stuff - and all the time I am not telling them the truth. Plus they will all understand, once I do inform them, that I have planned this trip for months and that all this time I just did not bother informing them that I am leaving.

At the same time, I do not feel ready to inform my boss about this yet. I feel I want to finish a few more things first, prove myself a bit more, make sure I leave with a good impression. Plus, I do not want to risk that he gets so angry (not that he probably will, but the risk does exist) that he asks me to leave as per my 2 months notice period. This would not be good as I'm counting on the salary from the next 5 months to buff up my savings.

So when would be appropriate to tell them at work? By the end of April - hence 4 months in advance? By mid-May, once 2 out of 4 of my conferences for this spring are over - hence about 3.5 months in advance? Or???

What do you think?

D-day minus 5 months and a bit...

In a few days there are only 5 months left until I am planning to do my last working day, and about 5 months and a week until I'm planning to change my apartment for a backpack, my high heeled boots for trekking shoes, my 9-5 (or rather 9.30-7) working day for adventure, planning for conferences to planning for where to go next or preferably to 'no planning at all', a pay check to slowly - hopefully - eating through my savings.

5 months!!!!! How did this happen? I remember a morning that feels like it happened yesterday, when I calculated the time left and realised there was still more than 7 months to go. And 7 months sounded like loads of time! Now, there's only 5 months left - and somehow 5 months sound like a very short time indeed. I mean, 3 months have already passed since the birth of 2010 and what have I done in these 3 months??? Well, except for some cool days skiing, and a lot of days kind of working, the answer has to be: dodilidodili close to nothing!

But in the 5 months left before I leave, besides organise 4 conferences, prepare 2 publications of participants papers, budget and oversee the translation, editing and printing of 7 national context analysis papers, oversee the financial side of one of our external offices, prepare 2 financial and narrative reports, create project proposals and find funding for projects that I will not be here to implement (somehow now that I am soon to leave, I have loads of ideas that for once my boss is actually listened...), and prepare for handing over my projects to someone else (sort through 5 years of mail, papers, information on my personal drive etc).

Besides all that work related stuff, in these 5 months I also have to find time to do the following preparations for the trip:

- get a thousand and one vaccinations,
- find a backpack, well once I've decided what size and type I want - why do I feel that this might turn into a last minute buy?
- find the right shoes (trekking, sandals, a 'nice pair'),
- get visas,
- get e-banking,
- get a first-aid pack,
- chose clothes and stuff to bring,
- get a thousand small and not so small stuff (Swiss army knife, zip-lock bags, packing tubes, day pack, rain jacket, sports bra and underwear, earplugs, flash light, duct tape, journal, money bag, travel towel..... and so on),
- decide if I want to bring a computer, and if so, chose what model,
- find someone to rent out our apartment to (for a bizarre period - possibly 2 months sharing with N, 6 months by themselves, 4 months sharing with N),
- go through all my books, clothes, papers, shoes and other stuff and get rid of a big part (a third at least? ouch!!), packing up the rest (the plan is to store it all in our basement but it's not very big),
- find a good but not too expensive health and travel insurance,
- get flight tickets and decide what system to go by (RTW ticket, or single tickets or....)
- decide on what country to start from... (a small, kind of tiny, decision ;))
- decide on what country to meet N in...,
- choose the language school(s) (thinking about possibly doing 1 month intensive Spanish in one country, and then a second month in another country - hence allowing me visit, during weekends, and get to know at least 2 countries during the first 2 months),
- learn some Spanish before leaving (optional, but would be very good),
- etc, etc.

In addition I should also supposedly try to get rid of my arachnophobia before I leave!!? This came as a suggestion by a couple of friends who do not understand that to get rid of my impossible fear of spiders, I will most probably have to put myself under the obligation to have to touch a spider at some point, and probably a BIG spider - now why on earth would I want to put myself through that? I mean, going through therapy means a most definite obligation to touch spiders! Travelling through the areas I want to go to, means a possible risk of having to touch a spider... Hopefully a very tiny risk. A lot bigger risk will be to have a big spider in my hostel room - but the answer to that would be very simple - I would just have to move to another hostel! :D

And of course, I shall also try to enjoy spring, meet friends, travel for Easter, travel 4 times for work, travel for Ascension, and then in the summer, say goodbye to family, extended family and friends - meaning trips to Sweden, Slovenia and Portugal! Plus a wedding in Greece.

Hmmmm am I the only one that just got severely stressed?