DEPARTURE.

Hey, everyone!

I sort of played around with the idea of possibly starting a blog to record my experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer in a modest country called Kyrgyzstan (thanks cousin Wels!). I was afraid to come off as prudent and overwhelming, but you are under no obligation to read anything I write! This is merely my chance to talk about whatever comes to mind in the moment as I attempt to live overseas for the next 27 months. :)

Yesterday and today were solely packing days. I can't thank my parents, boyfriend, and friends for taking their precious time to help me put pack my life away into a handful of suitcases with a 100-pound cumulative limit. Embarrassingly (and understandably?) enough, I was stressed, short-tempered, and worried about sorting all the necessities by a reasonable time (we finished by 9pm, woo!). We unpacked and repacked and rearranged so many times, but at last, everything was able to fit, and with just 7 pounds to spare! I wish I could somehow jam even the tiniest and most minuscule things just to fill the air bubbles. Alas, we made it work, and I'm just happy to be done.

Saturday was the Going Away Party that my family from each and every side (from blood to extended to not-really-related) helped throw for me! My cousin Welsley and my step-mom Gina (whom you RSVP'ed to) were in charge of invitations, numbers, and guests. The ENTIRE remainder of my family contributed anything from encouragement to memorabilia to take with me as I travel overseas. If I wasn't so exhausted, and if time weren't so limited, AND if the party wasn't just a day and a half ago, I'd take the time to thank each and every one of my friends and family who came to make that evening extra special. Just know, that from the bottom of my heart, I am endlessly grateful for the time, effort, and support to make not just the party a memorable one, but those memories to forever stay in my mind!

Finally, even though I practically sobbed the entire party due to the friends I wasn't expecting to see and the genuine advice and encouragement that was passed onto me, I am somehow still not entirely phased by this entire process. I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer, why am I not more excited?!?!?! My best guess is because I have enough family and friends to be excited for me ;) And I know once I slowly become immersed in the country and its traditions and culture, I will probably "suffer" from severe and extreme culture shock because my brain wasn't smart enough to predict and think about my possible experiences ahead of time. But, I can't possibly know what to expect. Why dwell on the future, and then worry about what may or may not happen? (This isn't entirely true to my life, I'm a big worrier and I totally dwell all the time.) Maybe I've grown, or maybe I'm just not ready to deal with my new life before the fact. With time, we  shall see how successful I am to applying this no-worrying and no-dwelling  mantra to my new journey!

I can't wait to update everyone with pictures, good days, bad days, favorite days, stories, and so on. I hope you enjoy reading, and keep me in your prayers! :)

Blessings,
Megan :)