Booking, booking, booking.

I book all day long.  I book academically, flipping through pages assigned in class.  I also book travel-wise.  I book the locations, the hostels, the trains, and flights, and buses, and so on.

I'll say this simply:  There are starting to be too many books.  I am trying to figure out all my reservations and complete all four papers assigned to me within four days.  Four days.  Splendid.

And although I'm sleepy-eyed, barely comprehending what I'm typing at this moment, I should thank CIMBA yet again for another thing:

Thank you, CIMBA.  Thank you for teaching me some time management strategies.  Because, quite frankly, I sucked at managing my time before.  And it leaves me feeling angry.  And now I have an angry blog post. My first angry blog post.  NOOOO.

I am aware that I am perhaps being too honest and blunt.  But being honest never hurt anyone.  In fact, it might help those who are anticipating a future trip out of the country.  Further more, it may help students who are considering to study and/or travel abroad.

To keep you from feeling stressed and wanting to pull out your own hair, I have some words of advice.

Megan's 6 Scheduling Tips to Live By:

• Get an agenda book.  I've never loved mine more.
• List every location that you'd like to visit prior to all your trips.  Then, sketch a brief plan for which days you will travel to specific places.  This way, you wont leave with regrets of missing a desired spot.
• Book all reservations in advance.  Seriously.  A flight CAN go up 30 euro within one day.
• Save absolutely every copy and every receipt in regards to your flight/train/bus/hotel information.
• If taking classes, don't bother bringing your academics on trips.  For one, books and notepads take up packing room.  Secondly, are you really going to be productive when exploring a new town?   Probably not.
• However, DO YOUR HOMEWORK - preferably before you travel.  Know when assignments are due and fit them into a feasible schedule that correlates with your trips.  

I am not going to claim that my tips will create a "smooth sail" for your life abroad.  But it will make things easier for you.  Take it from someone who learned the hard way.  I'm either going to Rome, Barcelona, or Verona in three days... for not cheap.  Not sure which it will be; I'll figure it out once I get these papers figured out.

Over and out.