Today, June 29th, is the last day before our trip begins! In a mere ten hours I will be on my way to the University of Pennsylvania. In the interim, I have been and will continue to be racing around my house desperately looking for all of the things I've forgotten to pack. (Since I just got back from a three week trip to Nicaragua two days ago, I consider myself a seasoned veteran of the packing-things-for-long-trips-mania, but I still want to make sure everything is accounted for.) I have almost everything I need stowed away already, and fortunately my luggage is well under the 42 lb weight limit, though I have very little space left in my suitcases. (When packing for long trips I am a chronic under-packer rather than over-packer. This can lead to a very spartan lifestyle, but for the moment at least it saves time.)
I can't believe that this moment has finally arrived. Since the moment I was accepted, I have been waiting to begin this journey and now that it is beginning, I can scarcely believe that it is happening. My excitement is uncontainable. (So is my frustration, because I can't find my flip-flops anywhere. They were here just a moment ago! They are the last thing I need to finish packing!)
I find that packing for a trip is a very meditative process since as I contemplate the objects I will need to bring, I also reflect on what I expect from the trip and how I came arrive at this point. In light of the poverty I have seen in Nicaragua I am more thankful than ever for the educational opportunities that I have been afforded. (Though I'm also incredibly thankful for heated water, well-paved roads and food right now.) Now that I have been able to observe firsthand the kind of difference education can make in people's lives, I am more determined than ever to use what I learn this summer to help others.
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| My Luggage! |
I can't believe that this moment has finally arrived. Since the moment I was accepted, I have been waiting to begin this journey and now that it is beginning, I can scarcely believe that it is happening. My excitement is uncontainable. (So is my frustration, because I can't find my flip-flops anywhere. They were here just a moment ago! They are the last thing I need to finish packing!)
I find that packing for a trip is a very meditative process since as I contemplate the objects I will need to bring, I also reflect on what I expect from the trip and how I came arrive at this point. In light of the poverty I have seen in Nicaragua I am more thankful than ever for the educational opportunities that I have been afforded. (Though I'm also incredibly thankful for heated water, well-paved roads and food right now.) Now that I have been able to observe firsthand the kind of difference education can make in people's lives, I am more determined than ever to use what I learn this summer to help others.
What a difference between the way a guy packs and the way a gal packs. You actually think about it while we just scoop the cleanest clothes we can find off of the floor and throw them in a bag.
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