Pre-departure

Hello! This is a long overdue post, but so much has happened in the last week it's hard to keep it all straight. I think I will try to divide things up into chronological order and just start from the beginning. *Takes deep breath* Here we go!

Before setting out on my journey, I had to make sure my bags were all the right weight because many airlines are extremely strict about how heavy the bags are. It seems like most American airlines don't make a huge fuss, but it seems to be a big deal abroad. Just to put this into prospective, according to some New Zealand natives, it's very easy to point out an american at an airport because of how much luggage her or she has on them. IFSA-Butler made it pretty clear (in my opinion at least) that it was very important to keep your (ONE) carry on under 7kilos (15lbs) and your (ONE) checked bag under 23kilos (50lbs). While taking this and the advice of some experienced study-abroad travelers into consideration, I did my best not to overpack (and avoided packing shampoo).

Before:
The carry-on (backpack):

 The checked bag:

 After:

Impressive, but you'll have to wait until my next post to see if I was successful in my goal to stay under 50lbs, I'm afraid!

With everything packed up and an excellent farewell dinner devoured, it was time to take off!

At my bon voyage dinner of Mom's famous Tandori Chicken (my favorite!). From L to R: Uncle Mike, Mom (Kathie), Me, Randa, Aunt Jane, and Uncle Gonzo (Nev)