Let the countdown begin

At this exact time, a week from today, I will be buckling my seat belt on an American Airlines jet, ready to take off for Miami, FL. The first leg of my trip is the shortest of the two, on which I plan on enjoying my last hours above American soil while sipping ginger ale, and munching on salty peanuts. The second flies directly into San Salvador, where I will be picked up by my program director, Trena Yonkers-Talz. According to our group's itinerary, three other girls from our group of nineteen will be on my same flight from Miami to San Salvador. I'll be sure to look for them, most likely carrying full backpacks, and biting with my same anticipation.

As my departure date has quickly approached, I've had many questions from the different people in my life. The most common one is of course, "are you excited?". In most cases I've been honest and responded with, "yes, I am excited, but at the same time nervous." Those who know me well sympathize, understanding that I am nervous about leaving my family for such a long time, and others even empathize, sharing their abroad experiences, all of which turned out to be, "the time of their lives". "You will never want to come home," some have even said.

Although I want my four months in El Salvador to in a sense be "the time of my life", I hope that I'm not necessarily saying, "I never want to come home." I know I'm going to LOVE the culture, the language, the food, the people...I did the first time I was there, but I also know that traveling and living in another place without my family and closest friends, there will be a void. Learning to be independent is extremely valuable, and I'm excited to learn more about myself, but I will not forget the community in which I am apart of here in the States.

I love and care about all of you, and I thank you all for your prayers and thoughts while I am away! I am nervous, but even more EXCITED knowing I have support.

I hope this blog finds all of you well. And that while I am away "having the time of my life", these entries will give you a glimpse of the other communities that I will be apart of for the time-being.

Katy

"Los únicos goces puros y sin mezcla de tristeza que le han sido dados sobre la tierra al hombre, son los goces de familia."