I will soon board a plane with the final destination of San Francisco.
On Friday, I officially become a Peace Corps Trainee. I meet my cohorts in Thailand 125. I turn in my last pieces of paperwork. I get my passports back. I fall asleep for the last time in the US for at least 27 months. I’ll probably have one last American moment of sheer terror and panic while maintaining my cool on the outside (I’m sure those will slowly taper off throughout my training.)
On Saturday, I bid a fond farewell to this country of mine and, as I always do, will sleep my way to the Land of Smiles. (I always sleep on flights for nearly the full duration, if not the entire time. I once slept 18 hours of a 22 hour flight from Sydney to Los Angeles.)
I’m carrying with me the cards of well wishes. My dad said to me yesterday, “You’ve been preparing your whole life for this.” I know this isn’t going to easy. But as I snuggle my cat one last time while I stand at the precipice of this journey, this adventure I am entirely ready to jump.