Wow.

So here I am in my fourth day of blogging and already I've got visitors from 5 continents. (None from Russia yet, though - hopefully there will be soon!) Welcome! Sorry that there's not much yet to report... still 3 days away from departure to Chicago, then Stockholm, Sweden. I touch foot in Moscow, Russia first on the night of June 26th.

Right now all of my time is spent either packing or worrying about packing. Here's some highlights from the list of things sneaking their way into my 20-year-old backpack on loan from my aunt for the trip:

• A green tennis dress first owned by my grandmother, and then my mother, and now me
• An assortment of anarchist zines for a couchsurfing host interested in the unpublishable
• About 5 pounds of maple syrup, brought as gifts (apparently there are NO sugar maple trees in Russia - tragic)
• A tin mug that reads "World's Best Dad" (got it at Saver's for 69 cents)
• A straw hat that makes me look like a cowboy - or a tourist
• Four plaid shirts, five A-shirts, and six pairs of mens' underwear (so much for not being out in Russia)
• Twelve American flags (I'm sure it'll help in customs)

I've been having trouble sleeping, and when I do sleep, all I dream about is travel mishaps in bad Russian. Things are finally falling together, though, for better or for worse. I wish I could find my "Anarchist's Cookbook" in the piles of storage here in my mother's apartment, but again, I'm not sure it'd help during the customs search on my way into the country... anyways, keep reading! More to come!