Exactly one month from today I'll be in Philadelphia at the Peace Corps staging event where, from what I can gather, we'll basically be getting a pep talk, asking any questions we have prior to departure, being stabbed with various hypodermic needles and signing lots and lots of paper work. On the up side, I'll also get a chance to meet the people with whom I'll probably become very good friends over the next couple years. From Philly we'll climb on a bus and ride the 2 1/2 hours to JFK international airport, and woosh off to Kenya we go.
I've been slowly buying and gathering things for the last few months so my packing is actually pretty organized. The only thing I'm worried about on that front is that I haven't actually tried to shove everything into the alloted luggage yet... that could be interesting. I also keep buying these hideous clothes, things that I would NEVER wear here. It's a little bit like Halloween shopping... if your costume was a frumpy school teacher. But, I gotta wear what I gotta wear, so for the next 2 years I'll be in dresses and below-the-knee-length skirts. I'll miss you jeans and cleavage.
People also keep asking me if I'm getting nervous. The short answer is: yea, I am.
Some days I forget I'm leaving and then all of a sudden I'll be doing something stupid, something I've done a million times before like driving to work or sitting at the bar with friends and it hits me that in a month those aspects of my life will only be a memory. It makes me think about all the things I'll miss here... my bed, the smell of my house, my car, softball, the woods where I jog... air conditioning, I bet I'll miss that last one a lot. More than that though it's the random little moments that keep hitting me like a ton of bricks...
Sitting around a table with friends, sipping cocktails, laughing, gossiping and generally enjoying each others company. Walking in to work and being greeted with a hug or a smile or a simple 'hey Linds' from one of my wonderful co-workers. Sleeping next to someone and feeling just a little bit safer, more at ease, just because they're there, snoring in my ear. The way my dog's tail wags and she comes running to see me every morning when I wake up. Laying on the branch of my oak tree staring up at the sky. Inside jokes. Teasing. A hug from a friend I've known for years. Having someone know me well enough to call me on my bullshit.
Those are the things I'm really going to miss... The warm, fuzzy, comfortable moments, and of course the people who make those moments possible. I hope you all know who you are and know how much I love and will miss you.
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