And I'm Off!

To all my lovely readers,

So it's finally here. Departure time. Only a few more hours until I leave for Miami which is where I'll end up meeting a lot of the other students in the program. I'm excited, but man I'm kinda scared! It's a good scared though. I finished packing today, all thanks to my cousin, Neha. And then after I packed, I spent the day with the people I love the most in the world--my friends and family. My cousin and I went to get a pedicure--a little pampering and relaxation before all the wonderful craziness. And then some wonderful friends came over later and we did nothing but talk for hours. It was great to catch up with everyone and be together. Those moments are becoming more and more rare and though we were still missing a couple people from our group, the time together with those who were able to make it was still necessary.

This time tomorrow I'll be in Santiago, with my new family! I've always been impatient so waiting has been difficult. I always end up trying to anticipate what's in store. However, my well traveled bestie, Megan, has been the best at getting me excited. She told me not to expect because I'll be wrong. Don't hesitate, just do anything I have the chance to do because that's why I'm there--to try new things and take a risk. She said have fun, take lots of pictures, and learn something new. It's probably the best advice someone could have given me.

The hardest part of going is being away from my family and my best friends. They are the world to me and they're my security blanket. With my family and friend's support, I know I can do anything; but when they're not by my side, I tend to become more insecure with my decisions. I start to feel a little lost. Though I pride myself on my independence, I like to be able to have them a phone call away. However, because I won't have this luxury in the Dominican, this will be a good challenge for me. I'll have to feel their support without actually hearing it directly from them.

Anyways, it's officially 3:00am and I have to wake up in 4.5 hours, SO I need to put an end to my contemplating, prepare to say "see you later" to the U.S., and for now, let my dreams run wild.

I'll post another entry the next time I have internet access!! Wish me luck! :)

Lots of love from,
Sapna