The Emotions of Change

Monday will be the 2 month mark until I leave. This month I have started feeling the bittersweet pangs of emotion that come with change. No longer am I just riding the waves of excitement. For months my elation about being accepted with Mercy Ships overshadowed any other possible emotion.  But that changed with my first good-byes. It began over Spring Break; first with my dear college friends, then with my family. With only 4 days between the end of the school year and the start of training, I won't get back to Wisconsin before I'm off to Africa.

I've finally told the teachers in my department at school that I'm leaving and I spent the day yesterday interviewing someone to fill my position. Now I just have to tell my students. Gulp..am I really leaving Sharpstown???

Ready or not, my preparations continue:

• Yellow fever vaccination...check.
• Typhoid prevention pills...purchased.
• Fundraising...only $7,000 more to go.
• Pre-reading assignments...75% finished.
• Books for my kindle...thanks to your suggestions I have a long list compiled! Now the problem is not reading them all before I leave. 
• Packing list...in progress. Should I bring 4 t-shirts or 5? I'm only supposed to pack clothes for a week to 10 days. That should be easy, right? But how many pairs of pants do I wear in a week? And I guess I should make sure I can mix and match them with my shirts to get the greatest number of combinations...ugh! I hate dressing myself. 
• Learn Malagasy...I can count to 3! Yeah, I know, I still have a long way to go on this one.
• Buy health insurance...I am putting this off, because obviously it is the least fun thing on my list. 
• Sell my car...Also putting this off til the last moment, but if anyone is interested in buying a 2011 Madza 2 (stick shift), I will make you a good deal! But not til July. 

So there you have it.  An update of my preparations both physical and emotional. It will be good once I get to Madagascar, because then I will actually have interesting things to write about. Until then I guess you are stuck with my to do lists.