UB is Ulaanbaatar

You could be flying me to some undisclosed location, blindfolded. The feeling of being plunged into the unknown is such to me right now.

 
I admit I didn't prepare as much as I'd planned. I'd planned to read all the guide books, read all the articles that came up in my Google news alerts, complete a 120-hour TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) online course. I hardly made a dent into Mongolian history, I signed up for news alerts only 3 weeks before my departure, and out of 50 online lessons, I've only completed 2.

People would ask me, "How are your preparations going?" "Have you packed?" "Are you ready for Mongolia?" I didn't feel any particular urgency, but regardless, no matter how much I prepared the less prepared I felt. As I started to pack, my list of things to buy and do became longer. My to-do list was probably the longest on July 30, only several hours before leaving the airport.

Another question I heard many times my last week in the U.S.: "Are you getting excited?!" Well, yes! I've been excited. Too excited, maybe, to feel any pressure that would have prevented my procrastination. Now, I was getting nervous. I'm grateful for the anticipation, however, if not preparation.

Preparations to go abroad have also distorted my sense of time. Monday and Tuesday became weekends, or 1 or 2 days before my plane leaves. Most everything I have done to prepare for Mongolia has been to prepare to leave for Mongolia: packing, saying goodbyes, settling accounts.

I knew the details of everything up until my 7:00a flight this morning. And I know the rough details of what I will do 1 year from now (recommence engineering courses, apply to firms, apply to grad schools, prepare for the GRE). But everything in between--I have no idea. Complete blank stare pages to be filled.

One thing that has been consistently on my to-do list: "Make a list of goals." Goals--something  sturdy and fixed to mold unwieldy uncertainty around. 

Better late than never!