The countdown has begun

And so it begins. Or, at least the countdown to the beginning begins. I've been counting down for a while, but it's at that point when there is only one more Sunday, one more Saturday, one more Monday...you get the point. One week. One week till I leave. Ever since I signed up to study abroad, the adventures to come have felt like a million years away. It hasn't sunk in. I'm not expecting it to--when I studied abroad last summer, I thought it would take a week or two. Well, when I stepped back onto American soil (or Charlotte airport carpet), nothing had yet sunk. Even now, it all feels like a dream.

On a lighter note, packing for this expedition is going to be a real test. When I came back into the states last summer, coming back to all of my belongings was completely overwhelming. After carrying all of my stuff on my back for three months, coming back to a room full of more of my stuff reminded me, "yes, I am an American." And I hated it.

So the reverse culture shock wore off and I fell back into my material-hungry American ways. Perhaps that's what will do me in--packing-wise.

I'll probably write again before I leave on a jet plane. As for now, auf wiedersehen. 

Mit freundlichen Gruessen,

Hillary