So all of a sudden it is less than a week until I leave and y'all, that is very soon. I would've sworn it was 11 days until I leave, but no, it is 5. 5, people. That is almost tomorrow. ACK. You know?

But all is well. I have a swanky new bag that will only kind of make me look like a giant nerd-style American Tourist! And fancy new travel clothes! And shoes! And a fancy new travel haircut that makes me think I really should have waited on that one, cause I think it looked better before I got it cut! But with all my fancy new things I will likely not be cold, which is good with the very Northerlyness of Europe.

I would like to say, though, that I have the greatest friends in the world. Annie has been great about giving me lots of information about hostels and phone cards and cell phones. And John! The John with whom I am staying in London! Oh man. He's sent me number emails which I have read to mean that he will coddle me into my Grand European Adventure and I won't have to worry about a thing.

Y'all, he may even meet me at the airport. That is love, right there. Or at least strong affection. Plus maybe a little desire to be late for work. Either way, wild awesome. And in the evening he will come by my hotel to give me keys and a tour of his apartment so I will be able to get in and also to navigate the chairs and tables. He also has grand plans to help me find a cell phone. Barrels of cornbread for this man, I say!

Everyone's been telling me that this Big Solo Trip will make me Learn About Myself and I will Grow as a Person and Isn't That Fabulous? Well, it's started already. Here's the deal with cell phones.

If I take my cell phone to Europe and get Cingular's International plan then it's $5.99/month PLUS 99¢/minute PLUS I'd be using all my regular minutes. Dad says that with that plan my parents, who are on the family plan with me, can call and it just works with our regular minutes -- no extra 99¢/minute, PLUS anyone with a Cingular plan could call me from America and it would be like a local call.

Now, this would be all groovy if I were convinced that what my dad said were true (I am highly sceptical) AND if all my friends here at home had Cingular. But hey, I'm not and they don't. PLUS no one in Europe would have a sensible way to reach me, which is half the reason to get a cell phone anyway. PLUS no text messages and that is Not Okay.

OR, as I have been advised by both Annie and John, I could get a cell phone over there, which would mean people there could reach me, I'd have text messaging (crucial), my parents could reach me (this is their big concern), and I'd have a calling card so as to call the US, which costs about 10¢/minute (or 25, if I go AT&T, or 2.5 if I get some weird brand online). Far more sensible, yes? And better for me, instead of the Cingular plan which is best for my parents.

HAH. I tried to explain this to my dad, but he was having None of it. He said I could do what I want when I got there, but the Cingular plan was the only one he was paying for. I tried to talk to him for a few minutes but wasn't getting anywhere so I went up to my room.

I hate that. One disagreement and I'm suddenly fifteen again. I didn't like being fifteen the first time around, I don't want to deal with it again. So I came to some kind of Crossroads in which I can be an Adult and Deal with the Problem Head On (later -- it was his birthday and I didn't want to start some kind of argument), or I can be a Bratty Kid and Go Off and Sulk. Which I was in the midst of doing.

And I decided... something in the middle! I realized that dad can do whatever the hell he wants to do in regards to my current phone. Since he's paying for it it's no skin off my back (save that I have to carry TWO phones around Europe, but whatever), and I'll have the European phone so people there can reach me and I can have my text messages and so on.

Ta da! And no confrontation needed! Lesson for the day: I'm a wimp.

T-minus five days and counting. Panic level: low.