Less than a week to go

The idea that from next week I won't be in London for two months seems unreal to me.

Before leaving I have lots of formal things to do such as to attend firms, present an audit, apply for jobs and write some magazine articles. When I'm working on these sorts of things, everything else ceases to exist, a feeling that continues for around a day after completion. So despite knowing the dates of my elective are drawing close, I don't actually feel they are nearby, which I believe is why it feels unreal.

When I do force myself to think about it, I find I'm excited about having some time to myself, flying on a plane, seeing new places with new people and trying new things, but jittery because I don't know enough about general medicine let alone tropical diseases- and I'm going to be with world experts on the subject for seven weeks. I'm also wondering whether I should've concentrated less on the educational aspect of the elective, now that I hear of friends' exotic itineraries. I will no doubt explore in my free time but would that really be enough to go trekking in Mali, for example?