Things to Look Forward To

1. Seeing friends and family...obviously yall are the number one. Get
ready for me to get emotional and jump up and down
2. Fast Food!! I know it's not very good for me but I'm going to have to
say hey to Taco Bell, Sonic, Chic-fila, Zaxby's, Dairy Queen, and so
many more when I get back...it's gonna be amazing.
3. Grocery Stores....I'm probably going to tear up on the cereal aisle.
4. Constant electricity and running water WITHOUT a generator.
5. Driving...anyone want a road trip?
6. Sleeping in my bed with a lot of covers and not sweating or waking up
to an alarm...oh my goodness, it will be glorious
7. The beach.....one of the best things about living in Eastern NC
8. My puppy....ok he's more of a huge dog but I still miss him
9. Concerts....I used to go to them all the time.....Matt and Dave--here
I come!
10. Microwaves....rapidly heating food really is a beautiful thing
11. High Speed Internet!!! No more reading books while I wait for a page
to load.
12. Being cold....my first winter back is going to be awesome
13. Bring on the pants....I'm not wearing skirts for a very long time.
14. The NC State Fair...all I'm saying is ears of corn and deep fried
snickers!
15. Cable TV...no more watching the same seasons of TV over and over on
my computer.
16. iTunes...I need some new music.

The list could go on and on but here are the first things that come to
mind. See you in 37 days!!!

Wisdom from Hope Floats

So I'm getting a little pensive about my time in Africa since I'm getting ready to leave. It's almost impossible to process everything I've experienced here. I feel like it's something I'll be processing for a really long time. I could try to inadequately describe the lessons I've learned, or the most significant moments, but I feel like it would just turn into rambling. And who knows, there could always be a book in the future that explains all that in more detail. Ha! For right now I'll just try to explain it by quoting one of my favorite movies.
Now I need to preface this with a few comments about my movie preferences. I know this might sway some people's opinion of me, but the more predictable a chic flick is...the more I like it. I like all kinds of movies, but there's just something about knowing that the movie is going to work out in the end that just brings me comfort. Call it what you will, but I am NOT ashamed of my movies choices. One of the classics is Hope Floats. I love Sandra Bullock honestly feel like if we hung out we would have a good time. Anyways, at the very end of the movie there is a great quote:
"Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts."
So true! That's what the past 2 years has been like...as simple as that. It started out scary, but it's amazing what you can adapt to. I get really sad when I think about leaving and starting the whole "beginnings are scary" part somewhere else. But the middle has been what has counted. It's been where the lessons have come, where I have grown, and where I have changed.