09 October, 2004 - 00:32

It was my birthday! Katrina posted it on her diary, so sweet! You are amazing, amazing, amazing Ms.-who-leaves-two-messages-with-me-for-my-birthday. I love ya.

I'm a neurotic fool. My glands swelled out for the third time in three months, I've been sick four times in four months for two weeks at a time and I found two mysterious lumps in my neck, one in my leg and one behind my left ear. Naturally, I'm turning into Adam Graham-fear factor extraordinaire. But fear-factor with perspective.

The last crisis has seemed to allow me to not lose my mind. I can be neurotic without losing my mind. This is a STEP! It means that I very casually make a doctor's appointment because it's free when you live in Canada and you can see a doctor ten times a week if you want... Oh, so I casually make an appointment with the doctor and ask her ALL about lumps, colds and glands.

I'm wondering what the hell I'm going to take with me to Malawi. Less than ten days away and I'll be leaving North America for Africa for six months and I still haven't thought about what to take. When I left for Japan, I basically packed the night before. I was leaving for at least a year to a country I knew very little about and I packed the night before. And know I understand why I'm not worried or freaking out about ... things to take. Or where I'll live. I'll have me, a backpack and malaria medication probably the three most important things one could ever take to Malawi.