Two WEEKS!

It's so close!

It started with a desire to be a better singer and refocus my career on music. I got distracted. You know, business, paying bills, eating and rent in NYC.

Now I'm two weeks away from getting on a plane to Italy for a month! Well, technically I'll be there for three weeks studying Italian and then off to Switzerland and France. My boyfriend will be flying out to join me and go on a little tour of Europe with me.

Wait.. Let me back up. This is me, Vaughn:



This is my boyfriend, Marvin (BTW he says Hi):


Ok, back on track...I'm nervous and excited. It's actually my first time out of the country (aside from that one trip to Jamaica when I was in college, but that doesn't count). There's so much to see and learn.

In between now and then I need to relax! Marvin has been watching me go a little crazy with worry (in fact he keeps checking to see if I've soiled myself with nervousness....hey, you...quit sniffing at me!!!!). Seriously, I've inherited this terrible worry habit from my mother. It's nothing as obvious as a nervous twitch or rapid fire chitter-chatter, it's very insidious.

I tend to "plan." Work out a problem in my head and all the possible solutions. Make lists, think about the right preparation, study for my class, and research, research, research. All this ends up making me a mess and less likely to be invited to speak at the next Modern Man's New York Buddhism Convention (and I was so close to being the keynote at this year's MMNYBC!).

*puff*

*puff*

breathe....

Ok. I'm better. I don't want to be a total lazy ass and forget to do stuff like pack and learn a little bit of the language, but I can certainly keep myself calm and enjoy the next two weeks before I go!

I'm planning on blogging everyday about what I've been doing and seeing and attaching a bunch of pictures. Hope you enjoy!