Jun 2006

That would be August 22.
As for the money, raising it is going fantastic! Last I checked -- which was last week some time -- I had $385. I know that doesn't sound like much, but thanks to that church member and his $1,200 plane ticket, I officially have $1,585. That's great! Only about $1,000 more, and we have about a month to do that. This is really going to happen!
One of the things I've been thinking about getting before I go is a laptop. All I have is a desktop computer, and I certainly can't bring that with me. I figure a laptop will give me access to internet so I can post updates and pictures, allow me to get those pictures from my camera, and I'll be able to work on school work during the evenings. That last one is important, since there won't be computers in the apartment, and the only other computers I will have access to are at the school (and besides that, there are only two of them). With a laptop, I can do my work for my lesson plans.
The good news is, last night I bought a laptop! I've saved enough money from my job that I could buy one. I got it on eBay, and it's fantastic! A Dell E1505, 1.7Ghz processor, 1Gb RAM, 100 Gb hard drive....I am practically dancing for joy. Now I just have to wait until it gets here.

I now have a total of $185 raised for my trip. I need $2,500...
But it's a good start, and I very much appreciate every little bit!. It's funny how things go slow and then suddenly they arrive and you look back and think, "wow, that was fast." A year seems like such a long time. But when you look back on last year, it feels like it went by fast, right? My point is -- if I ever really had one -- that pretty soon I'll have reached the $2,500. Soon I'll be on a plane to Prague. It just seems like a long time now.
So get that money in now because I'm impatient! I'm just kidding.
Actually, I do have good news. One of the members from my church will be buying the plane ticket with his air miles, so in a way, I guess I have $1,200, plus the $185, because part of the $2,500 goes to purchasing the ticket.
On a completely different subject, I'm trying to learn a little Czech over the summer. I think it's going to be hard, because the entire language looks unpronounceable, so even when I go to websites to expand my vocabulary, I can't fathom how I should say the words. But I did learn two today. "Prosim" means please, and "dekuji" means thank-you. Don't ask me how to say them for you.

Mostly I just wanted to get this up and running so everyone can have a look at it.
Right now, I'm in the process of mentally calculating everything I'm going to need before I go. Besides raising $2,500 (which, by the way, I still don't know how much I have), I have to make sure get all the supplies: luggage, converters, laptop, appropriate clothing and shoes, photography equipment, VISA and Czech government forms, and whatever else I still need that I don't know about yet!
My current concern is how on earth I'm going to fit 10 months worth of supplies and clothes into two 50lb suitcases! Prague has seasons, meaning I need both summer and winter clothes, and casual and dress clothes! I think I need to invest in those vacuum bags that pack everything in half the space...
So to remind everyone, and to come to terms with it myself, I'm going to spend 10 months in Prague teaching English. I'm leaving August 22 and will be returning the end of June. I'll be posting regular updates and pictures here throughout the year. Only now, there isn't much to tell. So bookmark this page, and be patient until I have exciting teaching/travel blogs to post!