One Week.

One week from today I will be getting settled in Siguatepeque. I have no idea what my calendar includes for my first couples of hours/ days/ weeks there, but I'm excited to find out. I've been chit-chatting with some of the friends I made when I was down there in 2008 and cannot believe that I will actually be seeing them again. Not only will I be seeing them again, I will be with them for an entire year. I am blessed, so blessed.

Throughout the summer I've created a long list of things that I need to do/ buy/ pack before leaving. I've had all summer to do it, yet I'm just now making a dent in that list. This includes saying good-bye to people which is not, nor has it ever been, one of my strong points.

I had a small little get-together at Mentor Headlands last weekend to say good-bye to some of my friends from school and from church. It was so, so wonderful.

It's so easy to get caught up in everything that that has to be done before I leave instead of focusing on the people I want to see. These are the people who have been with me throughout so many different changes in my life and who have supported me throughout everything. These relationships are the ones that are going to withstand time-- despite that fact that I am thousands of miles away. Again.

While leaving the beach on Sunday, I found myself thinking (again) of how lucky I am to have so many people in my life that I have such a hard time saying good-bye to.