¡¡Dos Semanas!!

This is me right now.

Dos semanas. Two weeks. A fortnight. And I am leaving for Spain. Two weeks from today, I will be getting onto an airplane, then getting onto another airplane, then getting onto another airplane, then arriving in Barcelona.

My journey to come!

It still hasn’t fully hit me exactly what I’m embarking on, but I get glimpses of it every once in a while. I just hope I don’t have a nervous breakdown when I board one of the 3 planes I’m taking to get there. This is–by far–the furthest from home I’ve ever been, not to mention the longest chunk of time that I’ve spent away from home. Not that I’m really afraid or anything. I’m used to being far from home–Massachusetts may as well be across the Atlantic Ocean from Virginia; it takes long enough to drive there. But it’s still a bit nerve-wracking. Quite a bit, actually.

When I’m through with my 14-hour journey, I will be stepping off into a different country, a different continent, a different world. (well, really, before I’m through with the journey, since one of my layovers is in Munich). It still puts me in awe whenever I drive or fly to and from Massachusetts because it’s weird stepping into a new world after traveling (and yes, Massachusetts is a different world from rural central Virginia). No matter how long the journey is, it’s still mind-blowing to me that you can get somewhere so far away in such a relatively short time. I guess it’s because I’ve read too many Jane Austen novels where it takes 3 days to travel 100 miles, when nowadays, some people drive further than that just to get to and from work every day.

All that aside, I am facing a lot of different emotions right now. I must admit that there are some things that make me happy to leave the country. Personal conflicts, annoyances, working my ass off, etc. But for the most part, the people and places I’m leaving behind will be sorely missed. But that’s life, isn’t it? You have to leave some things you love to pursue something you love more, even if it’s only for a season. But honestly, I don’t know if it will just be a season. There’s a high chance that I’ll move to Europe or some other country after I graduate college. I know–that’s not really on the menu right now; all I’m worrying about now is the semester I’ll be living there, but still, it’s a bit scary to imagine that the farewells I’m going through now may be amplified times about a million if I decide to move far away one day. But let’s not think of that right now.

So wow. I have two weeks. I have to tie all the loose ends and do everything I’ve been putting off all summer, and then pack whatever I’m taking with me, and go. Go. Ahh! (That’s one of those little glimpses of it “hitting me” that I mentioned before.)

This whole two weeks thing has inspired me to start packing! Well, actually, I was going to start packing and then it overwhelmed me so I decided to start to start packing instead. I made up a packing list spreadsheet so I can make sure I pack everything I want to and so that I can make sure everything is accounted for when I come back home from Spain. Maybe I’ll start actually packing when I’m done with this blog entry. Or maybe I’ll work on the 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle I’ve started instead… one is more productive and one is more fun. And packing is productive too. 😉

Alright, well I guess that’s enough of  my ramblings for now.

Readers (if I have any), have you ever had to pack enough to live off for a significant amount of time into three (relatively) small suitcases? Any advice or fun anecdotes?