Don't forget to charge your batteries.

Saturday I leave for what quite possibly could be a very big step. My suitcase is out waiting to be packed, laundry is done and music is playing. All I can do though is stare at my clothes, let my mind wander and try to shake this overwhelming feeling of uncertainty. Two weeks will be spent on the Baltic Sea working extremely hard and testing the limits of what I can accomplish. I almost don't feel prepared and when I think about it, my heart races and my eyes well up and the desire to skip it all and work at McDonald's becomes a realistic, but short-lived thought. My limbs get light, my hands start to sweat and trying to focus on what shoes to bring, not forgetting my favorite pen and uploading the travel playlist still do not distract from the nagging feelings in the back of my mind.

The last week will be spent freely, wandering around and ending up in Paris. I have yet to find a place to sleep and I'm pretty sure Thanksgiving dinner will be a baguette with cheese. For quite some time I've known that I needed to go back to Paris. I'm not sure why, it's just an inclination. I guess I could have spent my week elsewhere, but with no one to travel with I knew it was a place I could go and be content and alone. I'm not going on some soul-searching European mission, but at the same time I know I need a little more time to wander before the winter sets in on Chicago and I have one last chance to gather some memories for the greyness.