Preparation-Smeparation...

Saying Frank Paul <insert Polish last name> "doesn't plan ahead" is a bit of an understatement (Actually, some might argue that saying I spend most of my life bouncing around aimlessly from one impulse driven activity to the next is ALSO an understatement, but lets try to finish this with our self-esteem intact, shall we?). It's not that I don't value preparedness, it's just that everything in life always seems to work itself out. I remember this one time at UMBC I left class feeling kind of bummed. It was the middle of the week, and while I can't recall what kind of juvenile drama had doused my spirits, I do recall thinking a friend of mine at Elon University could get my mind off it. Before I knew it, I was in my car and on my way to North Carolina. Did I have class and work the next day? Of course. Did I have a ton of homework to do? Probably. Was I even sure my friend would be there? Well... not completely sure, but fuck it right?* That's how I tend to go about things in life, "fuck it", worst case scenario you have an interesting story and you know what? Chicks dig stories.

I guess that's why the urgency of preparing for this trip hadn't hit me until now. A month ago everything seemed so far away. Now, with a little over a week to go, I'm starting to feel the pressure. "Whatdoyamean I can't just go to my bank to pick up Malaysian Ringgit?" "Vaccines? But I'm the picture of health!" "Wait... people STEAL stuff in Asia too? I thought that theft was a Baltimore thing!" Well a handful of sleepless nights later, and I think I'm ALMOST ready...

*If you're wondering, she was on campus, and even after being woken up in the middle of the night by a very, VERY unexpected visitor, she was welcoming.

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Foreign Currency

So chances are that if you're like me and have all your money in a little credit union, you'll be unable to roll up the day before your trip and have your savings converted into Dong. Moreover, if you also have your credit cards through that same little credit union, chances are there will be extremely prohibitive limits placed on your ability to withdraw funds in any country that scores below a "2" on freedomhouse.org. So what option does that leave? Well if you said "travelers checks" you're probably over 40 and likely Ariana's mom... you're also wrong.

Of course what I'm referring to is cash, and lots of it. Between the two of us, Team Alucard will be carrying somewhere between three to four thousand dollars worth of small, colorful, unmarked bills. Is this the best idea? Maybe not, but is it an awesome idea? Absolutely! With six million Dong in our pockets, we'll live like kings (So long as doing so doesn't draw too much attention from the Baltimorions who've somehow made their way over to Asia.)!

There appears to be quite a few companies that make money off buying other people's money, and while I assume most of them are owned and operated by the Jewish community, the one I opted for was British. Wikipedia makes the claim that Travelex is the largest currency exchange bureau in the world, and the British man I ended up speaking with said the same thing. It was almost as if he single handedly threw together this 200 word article! Na,  you're right, that was at LEAST a two Brit job. Anywho, before I knew it over $2,000 worth of foreign currency was on it's way to my doorstep!

"Wait... they shipped it to your door?"

Yeah, apparently 2k isn't enough money to warrant the hassle of requiring the traveler to pickup the cash, or evidently require the traveler to sign for their cash either, since the money was just sitting in my mailbox the next day. Maybe that's why a Jewish company isn't the largest, they're not chincy enough... wait a second...

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Medical

So I spent some time in the "sandbox" a little over a year ago, and while the trip was amazing, I can assure you that the medical stuff was NOT. You see, it's not that I have a problem with people who waste their first four years out of high school learning about "fine arts" (Cause honestly, what doctor do you know that took on a meaningful major during their undergrad?), it's that I hate needles. I really hate needles. Hate. Hate. Hate. Well you shouldn't find it at all surprising now that the VERY last thing on my mind while prepping for Asia was medicine. Sure, I had grabbed some Ibuprofen and caffeinated vitamins, maybe a condom or two, but vaccines? Na, they hadn't crossed my mind. When I finally got around to looking into it, it was apparently too late. It would seem that most modern vaccines are "staged" for optimal effectiveness, and require more than a weeks notice. Oh well, heres to hoping the tiger that bites me isn't rabid!

I did end up grabbing the first dose of the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine (Which was a bargain at ONLY $285) and some antimalarials. Also, in this doctor's defense, the shot was relatively painless.

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Packing

The only thing I think I've managed to stay on top of so far has been my packing. A few years ago, right prior to going on a cross country trip with my best friend, I found myself in a Samsonite store, and it's there that I learned the ancient art of luggage packing. The instruction may have only lasted a minute, but it's impact can be felt to this day. In a bag that Ariana was skeptical could fit soley my ego, I've managed to stick 5 shirts, 3 pairs of shorts, a pair of pants, a pullover, 8 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of underwear, a towel, a laptop, an e-reader, a bag of toiletries and so, so much more (a more complete list can be found here). 

Now if only I had half a clue about what I wanted to do in country...