It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest damned thing in the world.”

The countdown keeps dwindling. 7 days….7 days is all till I board a plane for Philly and start this incredible journey that lies ahead of me. It has been a mix of emotions as the day draws closer. There is such a huge amount of excitement that I have for my next adventure and I look forward to the new challenge, the new experience, and Meeting the 69 other individuals that will accompany me along this journey.

Packing is done. Though they have been packed for well over a month, I went through my bags one last time tonight to make sure that everything is on order. Though I am well under weight:  55 pounds and our limit is 100, I still feel as though I am going to arrive and realize that I brought many unnecessary items. However, there was a link to a blog that was sent to us a few weeks back and it made me realize that what you pack in two bags really doesn’t matter: “The memories, friendships, laughter, work and totally unique experiences could never be quantified. As I zipped up my bags one last time in Botswana I realized how ridiculous it was to worry about what to pack. Peace Corps service is obviously much more than anything you can fit into luggage.”

The goodbyes have begun and each one is harder than the last.  I have gotten used to seeing a lot of these people on a daily or weekly basis. Having a wonderful constant in my life but soon that security net I have built here will soon be gone. In the physical sense at least. I will miss them dearly. I am very content and happy with my life and maybe that is what makes leaving so difficult…to know that things will never be like they are now again…I will never again be like I am at this moment. Letting go of the familiar is always hard…until you do it. Then it’s easy. It’s the days leading up to it that challenge me. I reminisce about good times and think of all the things I will be missing out on while I am away. But even through all of these mixed emotions I have no doubt that this is the path that I am meant to lead. It’s all in god’s plan and I have taken so much away from the recent experiences in my life, may lessons have been learned but it is time to move towards a new and exciting adventure 



I will miss all of you dearly and I hope that many of you will decide to revert back to the old days. The one good thing about not seeing those who are so important in my life is that I can write you letters. And I hope that many of you will do the same and write to me. You will be my connection to America and I will serve as your window to a part of the world not many American have a chance to experience.

7 days till Philly. Until then I will continue to enjoy the simple things in my life that I so greatly enjoy!