Be Prepared

Disney's The Lion King has always been a staple in my life. Great characters, entertaining dialogue, and such a fantastic soundtrack (Women's Chorus you know what I'm talking about). And even though I've spent the past 18 years being angry at Scar, he and the hyenas make a good point when they sing Be Prepared. Which is why I'm definitely over-preparing for this trip.

First I had to apply for Visas. Three of them. STRESSFUL. The applications for Brazil and Ghana were pretty straightforward, but I felt like I was filling out a dating profile for the Russian application. It took me a few weeks to get everything together, but I finally got it all sent in by the due date. According to the company's website, all three will be processed by August 12. Which is 8 days before I leave. So keep your fingers crossed for me!

My current project is preparing a profile for each city. Things to do, how to get around, type of government... all that fun stuff. You know - because I'm a nerd. But here's the thing: no matter how much research I do I know it can't compare to experience. So if anyone has any tips about the cities please share! Otherwise, I'll just keep checking out travel books from the library. The librarians and I are becoming very good friends. Or they're silently judging me. Either way...whatever. I plan on being better prepared than Scar.