Has mass and takes up space

So the more I think about it, the more I'm glad to not be moving until June. I'm not really ready to just pick up and go yet. I sat down with my budget yesterday and realized that I can actually manage to pay for my moving expenses and deposits without having to borrow money from anybody. This is a landmark moment, as every previous move that I can think of has required either maxing out a credit card or borrowing from my (or T's) parents.

So I'm excited! I feel very grown up about the whole thing, which I recognize is a little silly, but there you go. I may not even leave all the packing to the last minute this time!

This time tomorrow, I will be about to board my flight to Chicago. The fear and anxiety is starting to creep up on me, but so far it's still at a manageable level. I have my 3oz or smaller toiletries ready to go, but I realized this morning that I forgot to get my quart-sized plastic zip-top bag to put them in (security regulations are very specific about this stuff). I'm hoping I can find one in the freezer and repurpose it, otherwise I may have to travel to Chicago sans toothpaste and various girly products. I don't suppose I really need to bring my lip gloss to fight for fat rights, but I would prefer to look fabulous when I conquer the windy city. Thanks a heap, terrorists.


Brian sent me an interview with Pema Chödrön a while back, where she was talking about the idea of people willfully distracting themselves on airplanes:

PEMA CHÖDRÖN: In Tibetan, the word is Dunzi. I love this word, Dunzi. It means
distractions -- distractions that just sort of, you can waste your whole life in
Dunzi, you know, just, like, the lifestyle of just sort of flipping through
magazines. Or -- I don't know. The thing is, what we find if we're not used to
sitting quietly with ourselves and not used to meditation and not used to having
any inner solitude in our lives, we find that we're very threatened by nothing
happening. And we are addicted to dunzi addicted to distractions. And that's why
you get on an airplane, and it's as if, I think they're just, like, terrified,
what would happen if the video went off and there was no food, and we all had to
sit there for the whole, you know, 1 1/2-hour flight, You know, and not have any
entertainment? And, you know, all the books, you forgot your book and
everything. It would be kind of interesting to see if people would, like, freak
out. Because you look up -- you walk up and down the aisles, you know what
everyone would do, they'd close their eyes and go to sleep. They'd just try to
not be there.

I'm thinking about maybe not taking anything to do on the plane, just to see what it would really be like, if I could meditate during that time or if it would drive me crazy. It's a four and a half hour flight though, so maybe that's too ambitious to start. I would hate to be stuck reading the crappy in-flight magazine because I just! can't! take it anymore! I think I'll give it some more thought and let you know how it goes.