One Week Away

Una semana. That's Spanish for 'a week'. And that's all the time I have left to prepare myself for the longest trip from home I will have taken. Today is Sunday, and I am relaxing from a busy weekend. I picked up my Student Visa at the Spanish Consulate in Chicago on Friday. Abby and I and our friends Kristin and Sarah (who are also with the program and coming to Spain with us, though they will be in Madrid) spent the entire day riding the L over and under the crowded streets of Chicago, chatting about our impending journeys to Spain, eating the local cuisine (too much local cuisine), comforting each other, and making each other nervous at the same time. We have a lot to do.

My mom hosted a going away party for Abby and I at our home in Fargo yesterday. We drove in from Minneapolis and met with friends and relatives for the better part of the afternoon and evening. Thanks very much to everyone who came; it was great to see you all, and the well wishes were very much appreciated. I also want to say a special thanks to my mom, who put everything together, as usual. She's a very good hostess; I should probably convince her to have more parties.

And so I sit with my computer in my lap on this Sunday afternoon, watching television (the US Open Tennis Final, Federer vs. Djokovic), feeling tired, and happy, and relaxed. I'm going to start to pack my bags tonight. Abby's brother supplied me with the great idea to write and photograph a list of everything I'm bringing with me. Maybe it will be interesting for you all to read what exactly someone packs when they know they will be gone for nearly a year. I still need to pick up a few more things, so I'll probably make my way to Target sometime this evening.

I've scheduled myself to work Monday through Wednesday of this week. This means that I will have to make good use of my time. I need to figure out exactly how I will pack my bags (two suitcases, two carry-ons) and plan out the first couple weeks after our departure. Abby and I are working hard to coordiante our efforts, and I think that we make a good team. I think we both know that we'll be tested many times on this adventure, but we're both confident, exuberant, and resilient. We have big plans and bigger dreams. And we can't wait to get started.

Thanks for reading! I hope to have some informative stuff for you soon. I guess I'm just releasing a little bit of my emotions at this point. There will be much more of that to come, I imagine. So I'll get back to writing again soon! Bye for now.

Ben