Pinching Seems Necessary...

The last two days have brought about huge steps forward in my preparation for Australia.  A rather large weight has lifted from my shoulders as I now officially have my plane ticket and Visa!  There is absolutely no backing out now.  I'm also really lucky to have found a traveling buddy with whom I can freak out with during our excruciatingly long trip.  Lauren is a sophomore from NC State and will be studying at Uni Syd with me.

So here it is- Wednesday, February 10th at 2:18pm I will be embarking on the trip I have been waiting my entire life to go on.  28 Days.

I spent this last weekend with a close friend who will be departing this Friday for a semester at sea on a cruise ship full of college students all studying and circumnavigating the world together.  Saying our goodbyes was rather difficult because we are both in strange mental states- Mandy in shock and Me in disbelief.  I haven't even begun to wrap my head around the reality of my future.  Our inability to imagine what our lives will be like in a month has put us in a haze.  We had some really great talks about what we're most/least excited about and I am so grateful to have a good friend who will be experiencing similar things somewhere else in the big pond!  So this is my shout out and virtual hug to my darling Mandy. I love you girl... Sail the high seas, see the world, and always remember that you are loved and missed.  

Here are a few photos from our last weekend in Boone together: