T Minus 1 and counting

In 24 hours I will be on a plane, winging my way west to Oregon and Pacific University and my first residency. The MFA program kicks off the two year schedule with ten days of classes and workshops taught and led by some amazing authors. I've heard it's intense. I can't wait!

My plan from here is to try to write a little each night about what's gone on that day, and what I've learned. Activities go pretty late into the night, so I don't know how reasonable that plan is, but I want to document my time there, not just for you, lovely bloggers, but for me.

I think there's a part of me that's hoping this is a lot like a two-year writing conference. Authors, lectures, workshops, good friends and hotels and food I don't have to cook or clean up after. Well, at least for the residency portions. I'm hoping what I learn will blow my mind.

So the house is now in order, groceries have been bought, I've read the short stories I needed to read before two of the classes, and finished critiquing nine other students' writing that we will workshop while I'm there. That last part took much longer than I'd have liked, not because I don't enjoy critiquing but because I feel like I should move faster through them, especially if I decide some day I want to be an editor. I have no idea if I did too much on them or not enough, but I can't really know that until I'm there.

All that's left now is packing, and according to my facebook friends, I own too many sweaters. It didn't even occur to me people wear things other than sweaters in the winter! I managed to fit my bandaged foot into a pair of duck boots this morning, which I think will come in handy in the forecasted Oregon coast rain. I have my ipod, my laptop, my camera, too many books. I stayed up all night panicking about all the stuff I might potentially leave at home that I need - like insulin supplies and test strips. I know I'll forget something. I just hope it's something that isn't important!

So that's where I am. I probably won't be doing too much blog reading the next ten days, and if you write me, I might not be able to get back to you right away. But hopefully each night I'll be here, if only for a few words, and let you know I'm surviving.

Please... let me be surviving!!