Seventy-Two

It is a short three days away until a board a plane and take off to the biggest adventure of my life. It is guaranteed to bring challenges, tears, laughs, and memories to my existence; and I am scared out of my mind! I have felt more and more emotional over the last couple days as I say, "See you later" (not "goodbye" because I will be back.... I will continue to remind you this), to more and more people. My family, my closest friends, and my boyfriend prove to be the hardest to people to think about leaving. I tear up at the thought of missing a small part of their lives. I know that might seem stupid, but its true. However, I keep in mind that this is a chance of a lifetime, and a choice I have made. I am excited to give back to the world community. I am excited to see a new place and experience a new culture. I am excited to meet new people and learn new things. That is the part that keeps me from backing out of this whole thing.

Packing in coming down to the final items. I wanted to be much farther along then I am, but I guess it is better then packing the morning of. Trying to pack my entire life into two bags and two carry-ons is weird. The things I have decided to leave behind verses the things I will not leave without are surprising me. It reveals a lot about yourself when you are forced to make those decisions. A "Sophie's Choice" of sorts, but instead of picking between children, I am picking between bringing sheets or bringing books. I'm thinking the decision is probably very similar though :-)

I hope to write once more before I leave, or once I get into Washington DC for "Staging". We will see...

** Note to my readers: I have gotten multiple comments on my spelling, grammar and word usage. I realize these areas are not my strong suits, nor is proof reading or double checking. These are not things I'm proud of, but they are the facts. I will say that I plan on writing this blog much like a journal, from my heart, through my head, out my fingers and onto the Internet. Along the way I am bound to make mistakes. I understand if this bothers you, or you feel compelled to email me and correct my mistakes, but I ask you to please refrain. This blog is raw... it will contain raw emotions, raw thoughts, and is a raw document. However, I am happy to hear that people are actually reading it! Thanks! I hope that you enjoy the rest of my entries and it gives you an interesting insight to 27 months of living in Senegal, with or without the mistakes.