(almost) time for take-off

the very short first week of my summer has come and gone, and now, in the next couple of days, i'm facing the great unknown (for me): international traveling! has the time really arrived?

on monday (my 20th birthday by the way-- finally a teenager no longer), some of the fam and i are going to omaha to spend the day at the zoo, then i'll be dropped off at a hotel near the airport in omaha, stay the night there w/ a couple of gals who are going on the trip, and then take off from the airport on tuesday, early afternoon. to amsterdam, then madrid, then all over spain-- studying in granada for two weeks-- then onward to belgium, through switzerland, and to italy.

i go back and forth on how i feel about this. i'm excited, i'm nervous, i'm excited, i'm scared, i can't wait, i can wait. i need to go, i want to stay, i want to go, i need to stay. all sorts of mixed feelings, but i know they won't be mixed once i'm on the plane. it'll be a definite "by golly, woohoo!" yep!

i got an awesome "traveler's companion" journal from andy and emily (thank you!!!!!!!!!) which i plan to use throughout the four weeks or so.

will my spanish improve? oh, we'll see. i do know, though, that i'll be living w/ a woman (elvira) who is 46 years old and her son (carlos) who is 18 and studies hostelry in college. apparently they like music, sports, and food. i think i can handle that juuuuust fine. during the first week we'll be staying in hostels and during the last week we'll be staying in hostels, too-- i truly am excited about hostelling it up-- woohooooo!

this is only an introduction to how i feel about this coming month. there are a million bajillion thoughts that have been flying through my head this past week about sooooo many things-- traveling, family, a former relationship, ministry, friendship, teaching, languages, money, and more traveling. i wish i could do more than brush the surface. a person who got inside my head might see that my thoughts are much more profound than what i could ever write in a simple blog. life has been an issue for me-- as in, what am i doing in this life right now-- assessing where i am and where i might be-- and striving to simply be me, for the sake of being me, not to please or impress anybody. i have a lot of growing and changing (good changing, i hope) to do. it might happen soon, it might not. let's hope for the best!

blessings and peace to all-- everybody have a safe, safe june! wear sunscreen! (especially if you have a bald head!)