Everything is falling into place

Good news! My passport is here, and my airline tickets arrived today. I've got to go all the way to the airport to pick up my passport (ugh), so I'm thinking of going immediately after school tomorrow and taking MARTA. With high gas prices and parking fees, the train will be cheaper.

I spent the weekend making lists and going shopping. After recovering from sticker shock at REI, I had a great idea: I went to Goodwill to look for bargains on that expensive, quick-dry clothing. I had to look around, but I got lucky with a couple pairs of quick-dry pants for under $5 per pair--much better than the $65-$100 pants at REI.

I also bought a supply of pens, pencils, notecards and glue stick to use and leave in Chijnaya. I want to make flashcards, among other things, using words, drawings and pictures cut out from travel brochures. I'm also looking at a compact mp3 player that I could use to collect stories and histories from the Chijnayans. I might look for a larger one with more space so I can transfer all of my photos to it.

I've got so much grading to do before I leave. This is our last week of school, and of course I can't think of anything except going to Peru. I suppose I should go do some grading now . I've already got most of my things together for packing, so that can wait.