So, here I sit in a hotel, waiting on the brink of my life’s next stage.

I leave for the JVC tomorrow morning. My flight leaves the Pittsburgh airport at six o’clock, so my parents, Hannah, and I came down a day early. I’m glad that Dad and I didn’t go with that initial plan of me flying out a day early and staying in Portland. Given the disasters I experienced in coming back from Italy (I won’t elaborate here, but if you want details, give me a call, and I’ll enlighten you), it would have been impossible. I’m heading to the airport at 4:30. I’ll be in Portland by one (given the time change) for training. I won’t arrive in Seattle until next Saturday after we’ve spent a week at “camp.”

 It seems sort of surreal now that I’m actually here. Sure, I’ve had some instances of sadness: when we left the house today, when I said goodbye to the girls last night, and when I finally finished packing. It’s unbelievably hard to leave the place where you grew up for a place you’ve never even visited. I don’t count college, given that I could have called my parents at any time to come and get me if I was homesick. A two hour drive compared to a five hour plane ride is a somewhat significant change. I’m scared out of my mind, because I’ve never been so far out of my comfort zone. I have a sense of excitement, of course, but the truth is that I never thought this day would actually come. It’s one of those things that you hype so much to yourself that it will never seem real until after it is over.

I won’t sleep tonight. If I do, it’ll be a miracle. I’m too jazzed and nervous to even feel tired right now. I’ve already done the no-sleep thing this week, so I’m not so concerned. Here’s to new experiences!