Packing, a prelude

I'm convinced my bags have shrunk.  That backpack felt huge when I was lugging it up the hills of San Francisco, but when I set it next to my pile of clothes it looks positively minuscule.   Like one of those Ziploc snack bags.  Also, the airlines only allow you one free bag.  I'm going to suck it up and pay for a second one, but there's no way I'm paying for a third. 

The kicker is, Daphne counts as a carry-on.  (I have to pay for her too of course.  Way to nickel-and-dime me, Delta!  I now see the $1100 wasn't so much a "fare" as a "starting point".) Maybe I can wrap Daphne in a blanket and pass her off as a human baby? 

She's totally worth it!  ♥

On the bright side, I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel re: my massive to-do list.  I took the GRE, and I got my last piece of paperwork in the mail (Daphne's international health certificate, signed/sealed/delivered in less than a week!), and my ducks are beginning to get in a row - or at least, they were.  I should have known that the airlines would be the thorn in my side last-minute.  I wonder if it's possible to wear more than one pair of shoes onto the airplane?

One way or the other, I'll be there in a week.  Yes, I have to deal with baggage fees, paperwork, packing, saying goodbyes, exhaustion, and Veterinary School applications - but it'll all be over and done with and I'll be kissing the cobblestones of Angoulême in 7 days.  There will be new stresses, to be sure - but being there will also be a relief as I'll know I've actually made it, and all my hard work paid off.