send off partay

Yesterday my parents threw me a barbecue and it was amazing. We had an incredible turnout (over 100 people) and everybody seemed to have a great ti

me. I felt so honored that everyone went out of their way to help me celebrate the occasion. The weather was awesome, the food and drink even better, and saying goodbye/getting last minute pieces of advice from some of my closest friends was the best. Special high points were:

-the cake--marble with raspberry filling yeahhhh

-my godmother showing up in a winter wool coat and a scarf wrapped around her head complaining about how cold the 72 degree day was and how she should have worn her fur

-my reunion with Lauren--bffs since the womb but separated for many many months

-smores

-all my home friends, school friends, and friends that I mooched from Andrew (but am truly fond of and would like to consider my own)

-Magic Hat

-My dad giving a strip of the lawn a buzz cut so that we could play bocce and my mom's reaction to it.

Thank you everyone for your presence and well wishes.

anticipación

As my date of departure fast approaches, I find myself getting cold feet.

I have spent many restless nights fitful with anxiety and apprehension. When I climb into bed, my mind begins to race with anticipation and I am growing quite accustomed to the tangle of bed linens I awake to find myself trapped in each morning.  

Neither my excitement, nor my aspirations have diminished. My yen for adventure, service, and travel remains vibrant. Rather, cognizance of the approaching unknown is toying with my sanity. I am about to bid farewell to a world that is comfortable and friendly. The moment I step off the plane in Lima I will be bombarded by unfamiliars...and I am terrified---I mean excited!  

I feel my ties to home constrict whenever I try to imagine what these next two years will hold. I'm afraid to let go. I am discovering new reserves of patience and fondness for those around me, and while this time ought to be blissful, untroubled, and buoyant, I find myself concurrently burdened with solemnity. Both the organic and the inert stir my emotions as never before. One of my objectives for this trip is to divest myself of materialistic habits, and yet I suddenly look at my car, my books, and my favorite rocking chair with a sense of longing.

I hope Peru will enrich my soul and bestow me with good, lasting friendships. I look forward to the experiences to come and do not wish to demean the excitement I feel by expressing my trepidations. I realize there will be dark days and happy days and I am ready to embrace both with enthusiasm. Bring on the unfamiliar, I say!

Hopefully, Good Bye will be the hardest part.