T-18 Hours: Packed!

It's 3:30 the afternoon before I get on my plane, and I think I'm packed. My suitcases feel suspiciously light, though that could be that all my clothes are summery and skirts, shorts, and polo shirts really do weigh a lot less than jeans and sweaters. I was going to just buy shampoo and conditioner over there, but since I seem to have plenty of room, I just threw mine in the suitcase anyway. I also have basically an entire mini-drug store in my first aid bag, so I feel pretty prepared. My passport and ticket are in my purse, and I guess after that it's all negotiable anyway, if I have forgotten anything.

I made fried tomatoes for lunch today, a cup of my Bean Factory coffee, and Mom and I are going to the barbeque place I love for dinner tonight. Because nothing says a last night in America like a pit beef or pulled pork sandwich. Mmmm.

As the first semi-educational item in this blog, I learned one interesting thing yesterday, which is that Verizon customers in South Korea (and some other countries) totally luck out with regard to using their cell phones. Verizon uses CDMA technology, which is pretty much the standard in America, since both Sprint and Verizon use it, and they're the dominant companies. But AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM, which is vastly more popular worldwide (I saw as much as 87% of the worldwide market). In America, you're unlikely to care about the type of network, and most people make their decisions on whether AT&T or Verizon has better coverage in their area, which is only rational. But if you're a Verizon traveler in Europe, you're mostly screwed, because your phone can't talk to the GSM network at all. AT&T and T-Mobile people can just pop a new SIM card in and they're good to go, which is why GSM carriers are better for people who travel abroad a lot.

South Korea however, is one of the few places (along with nearby Asian countries, and a handful of other really splotchy areas of the world) where my Verizon phone should work just fine. I'll be roaming, of course, since I won't be on a Verizon network, but at least it'll work.

So please still refrain from texts and casual calls, since I get charged pretty heavily for them, but in emergencies, I actually will have cell phone use. Huzzah!