...I'll think of a better title later...

Something has happened to me. Something strange, unfamiliar and all together quite frightening:

 I have turned into a procrastinator.

I know, I know. I was the girl who wrote the 15-page research papers 3 weeks before they were due. The one at work who always finished the paperwork before the end of the day. The girl who put everything she needed for the following day's classes in her backpack before she went to bed.

I'm here to tell you that that girl is gone. AWOL. MIA.

I leave the country in T-Minus 41 hours, and I have nothing in my suitcases. Nothing. I do however, have sitting next to my empty, empty, empty suitcases a pile of blankets and a small trampoline. That should mean something...right?

Case in point: instead of actually getting ready to live and study in Italy for 9 months, I've spent the last few weeks compiling a working list of things that are, in my mind, much more important and pressing than packing my entire life into two suitcases and a carry-on backpack:

1. Baking
    I have found that making copious amounts of zucchini bread is extremely
    relaxing and also absolutely necessary.
2. Going on road trips to South Dakota
    Why would I spend my time organizing and categorizing when I could be
    solidifying my American patriotism at the incredible and fascinating Mt.
    Rushmore?
3. Seeing how many somersaults I can do across my room
    Five.
4. Watching Lost Season 6
    Newly released and ready for my DVD player.
5. Jumping up and down on the aforementioned small trampoline while
    texting my sister
    Have you ever tried to jump up and down on a trampoline and text at the
   same time? Not easy, friends. It requires practice. Lots and lots of
   practice.

I'm not sure how long this procrastination thing will last. Is it like a cold that will eventually go away? Or is it like a tattoo that requires major surgery to remove? I don't know how to go about handling this new attitude, but until it decides to fade or fix itself I think I'll live by the sage advice of the great Ellen DeGeneres:

"Procrastination isn't the problem, it's the solution. So procrastinate now, don't put it off."

Ok, Ellen.