Things I overlooked and am now scrambling to pull together:
1.) Unlocking my Cell Phone:
I am a smartphone addict. My HTC Vivid is an extension of my right arm. When I was informed by the AT&T company it could not be unlocked because I have not yet owned it for 10 months, my life crumbled a little bit around the edges. Not to mention, I currently pay $20/month for data and to voluntarily suspend my data plan I would need to pay $10/month. So Plan B is to surrender my smartphone and data plan to my sister (however much it pains me to do so) and unlock her dumbphone for traveling abroad. I also missed the PicCell two-week deadline to register for a phone/SIM card to be mailed to me in the States, but I've been told I can get one during orientation week. I'm not terribly concerned because I don't plan on using my phone a lot in Denmark. My primary concern, I am ashamed to admit, is my lack of access to Instagram and all the other apps I have made an integral part of my life since being anointed into the smartphone kingdom. A family friend has loaned me her old locked iPhone. I'm going to look into getting it unlocked, otherwise, I may end up just using it to gain access to my trusty apps via WiFi.
2.) Banking:
I've been told that I need to get my credit and debit cards flagged for travel so they aren't frozen after I use them for the first time in Denmark. While on hold waiting for the next available Bank of America representative, I came across some interesting information in the DIS Facebook thread. Apparently, Charles Schwab does not have any international ATM fees. Compared to BoA, where I would be charged up to 5% of each ATM withdrawal made, this was clearly a better option. Needless to say, I hung up the phone, went online, and immediately opened a Charles Schwab bank account. Then I proceeded to drag my parents to the nearest Charles Schwab branch to fund the account so they could mail me my cards. 9 days, crossing my fingers that the card will get here in time. Otherwise, my parents are going to have to mail the card to me in Denmark (which would be a major hassle). My friend who studied at DIS last year told me that my best bet is to bring some USD with me to Denmark just in case, then withdraw large amounts of DKK (Danish krone) from the ATM or at the bank when I get there. I'll let you all know how it goes...
3.) Voltage Conversion:
I thought currency conversion would be my only problem...then I realized that the Danish use a completely different outlet than Americans do.
When I first saw this, I thought "Good Lord, isn't that what they use to plug into the Matrix?" Apparently, this two-pronged outlet supplies voltage around 220-240 V...as opposed to the three-prong American outlets that operate around 110V. I've been reliably informed that plugging in appliances that are not equipped to handle such large voltages may cause very bad things to happen. Luckily, my sister just bought a universal outlet adapter for her Bar trip to Southeast Asia. As for the voltage, I bought a voltage converter on Amazon for about $14. I plan on hooking all these up to a power strip, plugging in my appliances, crossing my fingers, and hoping that nothing blows up.
Partying it up in San Francisco this weekend, but telling myself that packing will definitely get done when I come back on Monday. In the meantime, I've been trying to eat all my favorite ethnic foods (Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Afghani, Japanese, etc.) because something tells me I won't be getting much of them in Europe...
Hopefully my next post will include a picture of my shiny new Charles Schwab card and my packed suitcases! 9 days! Whee!!
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