A Sweet New Year - Wait, what? ALREADY?

I'm sure that nervous excitement will return soon, but for the past couple days, I've felt a little burnt out on preparing for the trip and not actually being on it. The only thing I've been worked up about lately is my brand new rolling duffel. Well, I admit, I was pretty stoked about that.

I do have one bag completely packed. At 47 pounds, it just hovers around the weight limit. Right now, it isn't really useful. It does serve as a launch pad for Yaya (my Siamese cat) to chase moths from, though! She climbs up to the top for a better aerial view, then flings herself into the air after them. It's both awkward and adorable at the same time, but that is always how Yaya has been.

In the frenzy of preparation, I totally forgot about the High Holidays. For those of you that don't know, the two most holy celebrations in Judaism usually happen about mid-September. This year? The first, the Jewish New Year, occurs two days after I arrive in Norwich. Talk about a new beginning! Rosh Hashanah is translated as "the head of the year," and is full of sweet things like apples and honey to assure a sweet year to follow. To be honest, I'll probably substitute drinking hard apple cider for the apples and honey, but it's similar!

It was a little stressful at first, realizing that before I was even settled in, I needed to begin the Days of Awe and find somewhere to pray. I was worried there wouldn't be a place on campus - after all, how many Jews are there in Norwich? I don't know! It's a little daunting to go from "Jew of A", a school where you can't take a class without a Semite sitting next to you, to a school where I just honestly have no idea about the religious make-up. Luckily, I have excellent Google-Fu and managed to find a synagogue who works through the school chaplaincy, though it seems as if there might be some travel involved to get there. I'm sure it isn't much, except that I'll have never used the bus system at this point!

But the more I think about it, the less I'm worried. I can't think of a better time for Rosh Hashanah to start. Brand new life, brand new year. And some extra blessings on my head before I take on the UK won't hurt. Mazel tov, mazel tov!

Time to get to started on my very long to-do list for the day. New glasses (after all, the ones in my "jolly good!" picture don't even belong to me! ;P), a thorough car cleaning, and some wrangling of a year's supply of prescriptions have all got to get done today! Don't forget to check out Rose Elise-In England's Facebook (link in the sidebar) for some new photos, including some of the bar scene in Tucson, more hiking, and some interesting shots I got at my own house of food (yum!) and the monsoon!