I have problems!

I seem to have a couple of problems. Ok, no seriously, I know I have many trivial "problems". A real "problem" is the BP oil spill, world hunger and the troubled economy. These problems of mine are problems. You see, I just walked to Borders to kill my lunch break. I often do this and I often find about 101 things I want to read. Today was no different. Except today I found three guidebooks on Russia and another novel that I want to read before I go. This, let me remind you, is as I am still industriously working my way through the formidable list of books already on my To Read List. But what is even more comical is that the novel is Anna Karenina, another work by Leo Tolstoy, which, like War and Peace (which remains half quarter eighth tenth of the way read on my bookshelf) weighs in at over 1000 pages. AS IF I have that kind of time! I have 3 books that must be read in the next cough54cough days. And let me remind you that I allegedly work full time and also teach and prepare for two classes and even sometimes do things for fun. HOW am I going to add more to the reading list? But here is the even funnier problem. As I stood in the travel section of Borders, pawing through the very limited selection of books on Russia, my eye started to wander. It jumped first to Romania, just above Russia on the shelf, then left to Macdeonia, a little further down to the Netherlands, then a whole 'nother shelf away to Italy. ITALY! My beloved Italy, which I have not seen since 2007! Oh god, I am already mentally computing my NEXT DESTINATION, when I haven’t even gone to Russia yet! This happens. Believe me, this is how I operate. To me, it’s a good sign. It’s a sign that I’m feeling prepared for Russia and am ready to go (which is probably a good thing even though I did a big GULP when I realized it’s 54 days away!). Oh, my wanderlust, it’s a beautiful thing. A quick update otherwise: I have received the final certified itinerary, with hotel vouchers and whatnot. I leave St. Peterburg for Moscow earlier than planned, so I will have my first dinner and evening there rather than on a late-arriving train. Is it crazy to admit I’ve already figured out what I’m doing with that first night in Moscow? I’m still reading, however, slowly, and watched a wonderful film on the last days of Tolstoy the other night, called The Last Station. The Russian podcasts are getting regular play again, and I’m feeling more and more confident in my ability to at least read and maybe even speak a little Russian. More importantly, I’m really getting excited. I may even wake up on Wednesday and not care that I’ve just ticked off another decade in the birthday book. Or if I do care, I could roll back over and start thinking about the next trip!