15

15 months ago I was handed an envelope by a dear friend. Within that envelope lay an adventure.

15 hours from now that adventure will begin.

It hard to believe the time has actually arrived to leave! Our bags are packed, our boarding passes printed and all that remains is to get to bed early and try to sleep. Hah! All these months of research and planning, scheduling and budgeting, reading and studying will come to fruition starting at 5 am tomorrow morning. And I’m supposed to sleep tonight? Where’s my Tylenol PM?!

This week my excited nervous system went into overdrive. Somewhere around Monday afternoon my stomach started churning in a way I’ve haven’t quite experienced before approaching a big trip. All I could think of is what I might have done wrong, forgotten, all that might go wrong, what if, what if, what if. The closest I’ve felt to this keyed up is just before a big wedding I’m supposed to coordinate. What if I screw the whole thing up?!

On Wednesday was a gorgeous, sunny day which turned into a surprise free-day from school. So, I took the opportunity to calm down, relax and switch from “planning” mode to “Traveler” mode. I’ve done everything I can do. It’s time to go with wherever our escapades carry us from here and whatever the Lord has for us on this trip – regardless of whether that is what I have arranged for or no. I’m going to put aside obsessing over what comes next on the itinerary, whether my well laid plans are progressing apace and what I should be doing to avoid disaster. The disasters are part of the adventure! Now is the time for enjoying whatever comes our way for the next 18 days.

15 hours and all’s well.

Next time you hear from us will be from an airport somewhere between home and my second favorite city - NEW YORK here we come!