My life as a MasterCard commercial...

Camera reveals a kid running through a clothes store trying on different shirts with a tropical theme.
Narrator (with text on screen):
Shirts, socks, underwear: $74.53

Our intrepid hero is now sitting on a doctor's table in his skivvies (wait is that even spelled right?). The doctor turns around to reveal a 6-inch syringe filled with a glowing yellow liquid. The kid's eyes widen in fear.
Narrator (with text on screen):
Doctor's appointment, vaccines, medications: $378.12

That same kid is now standing in front of a white sheet. A bright light flashes, surprising the kid. The shot freezes on the dazed and confused look on the kids face. Camera pans out and we see the picture in a passport.
Narrator (with text on screen):
Student visa, plane ticket, passport: $1,846.06

The kid now steps off of a plane into bright sunlight wearing his ugly new shirt. Cut to getting the passport stamped by a dark, angry official. Cut to our heroic traveller stepping out of the airport onto the street in a bustling African city, two large suitcases in tow.
Narrator (do I really have to say it again?):
Realizing you're not in Kansas anymore: Priceless.
There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Master Card.

* * *

With that little 30 second spot I introduce you to my life these past three months. And for everything I've bought there's probablly 28 things that I should have bought but didn't for one reason or another (or so I think so). Well, mostly just one reason and I call it the "Eh, I'll wait and see" attitude I tend to take around with me anywhere I go.

Usually, it works pretty well, I end up taking only what I know I need, and very little else. It's quite efficient. But I've never really embarked upon an adventure quite like this one (usually the wait and see just deals with weeklong trips to Maine or Philly or something like that - Not third world countries). That coupled with the fact that my second suitcase is half empty - and I've already packed everything I "need" - make me think that time my waiting and seeing will come back and...well let's just say it isn't likely to be pretty.

I'm hoping one of two things happens: 1) That I will have packed exactly everything I will need, and nothing more (proving once again the "wait and see" thesis correct - to my delight which I will rub into the faces of all the overprepared girls until they hit me with the high-heels that they brought "just in case we go out to someplace fancy and I want to wear that dress that I brought that I would only wear if we went to someplace fancy" because they're so damn sick of hearing me brag about how sweet of a packer I am) or C) That I will be woefully unprepared for this little jaunt to Dakar (after all how can 10 pairs of underpants last me 4 months? I only do laundry once a month!) and will have my face rubbed in the fact that that one girl had the foresight to bring her fancy-pants winter coat because the sequins on it happen to be the only thing that can break through African prison bars so we can make our escape.

Now obviously I'm pulling for option number two. Why you ask? Do you want to be proved wrong?

No, but breaking out of an African jail cell with fancy-pants seqins off of a fancy-pants winter coat in the middle of the Tropics would make for a kick-ass story. So Karly, bring your coat.

Love
Jake

PS - Yall can check out Karly's blog over there ------->
Click on the link that says "Karly's Adventures in Africa." I'm sure she'll have more entertaining stories to share anyways...