Demain

Demain (tomorrow) is the big day.

I'll leave Cincinnati at 11:15 in the morning and just a short 28 hours later, arrive in Yaounde, Cameroon. I have taken over and transformed my sister's room into my "packing station" (unbeknownst to her- thanks Catherine!). I have made close to 37 piles of : clothes, malaria meds (a whole pile in itself- 151 pills!), gifts for my host families, books, random, etc... basically it's an organization style that only makes sense to me. However, slowly, surely, things are coming together.

I am still in awe that this is happening and have a good feeling that it won't sink in until the fourth plane descends into Yaounde. I have the tendancy to be so amazed by certain experiences in my life that I almost miss them, jaw grazing the ground as they pass (i.e. summitting mountains in Alaska, enduring a rainy but life changing Killarney, holding my cousin's beautiful three-week old twins, falling in love, graduating, or the simple joys of spending time with the ones I love). How could I be this lucky? How could life hold this much beauty? Learning how to grasp these moments, actually hold them close, is a skill I am constantly attempting to hone. I have a feeling these four months will present my biggest challenge, and yet, I feel ready. Despite these new nerves, like a tiny bird flapping its wings inside my ribcage, I know that tomorrow morning I am going to metaphorically and literally fly off into this new chapter of my life, savoring the new moments while staying tethered to the people and experiences who have made me who I am.

Thanks for reading, happy weekend!

Adieu, America.