It seems my subconscious is worried about the part where I am trying to get to Russia.

Last week, or maybe it was the week before, I dreamt that I left, traveling with the group of the other students who were going on my program, except we were traveling on a bus on a six lane highway, and parts of the highway went straight up, and the bus had to have enough engine power to go straight up those parts, and at one of them we were also trying to pass an 18 wheeler that was coming down in the other lane, and I was worried that one of us would tip over onto the other. (On the other hand, this might be more related to the fact that I hate being anywhere near giant trucks while driving.) Then we got somewhere, except it wasn’t actually Russia, it was Paris. And we were checked into this hotel, and all the luggage I had was a soft guitar case stuffed full of laundry. And actually it was more the size of violin. But, I was thinking, I would have a lot more stuff when I came back, because look what happened when I went to Finland, look what’s happened when I’m at college. Then I went out of the hotel to walk around Paris and it was sunny, and there were canals, so basically it looked like Brugges, which I have been to, but I’ve never been to Paris.

Then last night I had a slightly stranger, more anxiety-based dream. I was, again, travelling to Russia, except this time for my summer travel, not for the semester. And I flew through, umm, I think it might have been Afghanistan? I’m pretty sure it was somewhere in the Caucauses. Anyway, I had somehow ended up as the second wife of this guy, instead of getting on my continuing flight. I was in this apartment, and I was trying to figure out how I could keep a diary without the man and his first wife figuring out. There was something else, but I really can’t remember… Then the husband said we were going for a walk, and I had to get ready. And he and the first wife went downstairs. And I was trying to get ready, but I didn’t know where my socks where or something, or I was also trying to take advantage of the fact that I was alone for a minute, when the phone started ringing. I wasn’t sure if I should answer it, but after the second ring it started making little short rings, and I suddenly remembered the husband telling me that for every second that I was late something would happen, so I ran downstairs holding my shoes, with one sock on. Then we were all in the airport, and I was thinking that now was my chance to try and escape. The other wife and I were riding down the escalator, and she had taken off her shirt, and she wasn’t wearing a bra, just some sort of straps around her bosom which were somehow supporting her breasts, which were perfectly round. And she and the husband were looking eye to eye, as we rode down the escalator. She was obviously doing this entirely for his benefit, and as long as she only looked at him, it didn’t matter that we were in an airport and there were all sorts of other people looking. Then we were in the parking lot and she had her shirt on again, and some guy said something to her about how nice she looked. He was speaking English and sounded American, so I asked her who he was, but she wouldn’t tell me. He got into a car, so I went up to it and said, all slinky-like, “what’s your name?”

“Ford,” he drawled.

“Like the car?” I asked.

“You betcha.”

Then I leaned right into the window and hissed, “You’ve gotta help me, I’ve only been here for a day, and already I’ve become this man’s second wife, but I don’t want to be, I need to leave!”

Ford looked a bit nonplussed, and I don’t really remember what happened after that, I think I woke up, but I don’t think Ford made me any promises…

It seems stranger now than it did a minute ago. The issue here, I think, is that to get to Vladivostok, it looks like I will probably fly through Seoul, Korea. And really, who wants to spend any substantial amount of time in Korea these days?

Took a week and a few days for my sunburn to heal. I think that was definitely the worst sunburn EVER.

I went to the health center, got my medical forms for going abroad filled out. This was a very thorough checkup… Blood testing, urinalysis, please take off all your clothes and put on this smock and the RN gave me a breast exam. And noted the mole on my side, and measured it, and said I should have a dermatologist look at it. However, I talked to my mom, and she has the same mole, and so does my grandmother. So the plan is, if my grandma’s mole turns out to be cancerous, then my mother and I will have ours removed. Funny thing is, my little sister does not a similar mole, so it doesn’t breed true… I wonder if my children will get the same mole? …if they do, theirs will be under the same removal clause, I suppose. But what if mine becomes cancerous, and my mom’s and grandmother’s never do?

It is, of course, more likely that I will get skin cancer. The RN put a recommendation that I always wear SPF 30+ sunscreen on my medical forms. Always. Baz Luhrmann wasn’t kidding about it either.

Once SIT completely approves me medically, I suppose a phase three will start. I don’t know exactly what it will involve, but hopefully not more forms that I need to send in asap. Oh, but I will have to get some more shots, before I go. Typhoid, Rabies, and Tick Encephalitis. I was reading the health recommendations for Russia, and it says don’t drink the water. You’ll get Traveler’s Diarrhea. Sounds horrid, but what they don’t make clear is, is it a recurring thing? They say it lasts for several days, but what I want to know is, will it come back later? Or will you acquire the immunity to the bacteria in the water, and then be fine. Because I think it would be easier to be sick for a while at the beginning and then be able to drink water, than to spend the entire time trying to find alternatives to water to drink. Also, would the bacteria be different in different parts of the country? (I think the answer to this one is probably yes.) Would I get sick going to Ternei, then get sick in St. Petersburg, and then get sick again in Irkutsk? I feel like in Ternei I’ll probably be drinking the water anyway. And hoping not to get geardia, or anything long lasting.

Living in Russia, it becomes increasingly apparent, will be different from living in Finland. No one ever told me to watch out for the water in Finland. It’s a nice clean country. But I can deal. I mean, maybe Far Eastern bacteria have something in common with Alaskan bacteria. Or not. But at least, from living in Alaska, I already have vaccinations for Hepatitas A and B.

It sounds like I’m worrying a lot about this disease thing, but not really. I’m much more interested in what I’ll be doing, while I’m over there. Especially in Ternei. So I think I’ll email Luba again.