BEGINNINGS AND ENDS

Today I am exactly 5 weeks away from boarding a plane to Cambodia. Something I hear a lot is "Are you excited? How do you feel?" Honestly, I think any answer I would give would be correct...in that I feel just about every emotion possible about this new phase of life I am entering. I am definitely nervous because I will be traveling completely by myself to a country I have never been to and I don't even know where I am living once I am there. So yeah...that could be interesting. Yet I am so excited and cannot wait to meet all these people I have been communicating with through email the past few months...and to do something that seems like a perfect fit with what I love. I am also sad as there are things here in Memphis that are ending too. My life is a jumble of emotion. Plus, I am a girl..add a couple extra in there just for that.

So this weekend seemed to be a rather typical weekend, yet, to me, not at all. I was so excited I got to take a mini trip with some of my friends up to Nashville. But that also meant seeing my friend who lives there for the last time before I leave. I don't believe in such things as goodbyes..well at least not with my good friends...but "see ya later"s are not a whole lot better.

Then, I come back home to give my first official presentation about my trip to part of my parent's church. I feel like this marked a new phase in my process of leaving. It also conjured up lots of flashbacks to my oral communication class...luckily though, I didn't make up anything or anyone in my talk today. Maybe I have matured since my juvenile college days. (I like the liberty I have to sound really old just because I have graduated from college..even if it was less than a year ago) As nervous as I get though, I think I secretly enjoy speaking in front of groups...which is good because I have many more to go.

And lastly, I finished my last Sunday of working in the baby room during the service at my church. This of course needed to be a monumental day since it was my last day. I was wondering what could have topped it when earlier this year I was exposed to the swine flu through the cutest curly haired kid in the class. (Yes, of course, I was the one holding her the whole time) So with all that happening, I knew it would take a lot. But believe it or not...it happened. My time spent holding the sweetest babies climaxed with baby Grady drinking 4 oz. of his bottle and proceeding to spit it ALL up on me. I knew it was likely and had even taken the necessary precautions..but to no avail. He turned his head right at the perfect moment. Did I mention how much I love kids? Hah. Not a huge fan at times like that, but then he proceeded to cuddle with me the rest of the time so I forgave him pretty quickly.

So what seemed to be just a typical weekend was really the end of a couple things...but the beginning of so much more! I am simply excited, nervous, sad, happy, uncertain, passionate, and ready for my trip to begin!!