Packing and Bubbles

Hello, all!

It's hard to believe that in two days, I'll be in Kiev... Seriously, it's still kind of hard for me to believe that. Maybe that's why it's so hard to make myself pack? I've told myself that I can pack a little more for this trip than I have in the past, since this time I'll have a home-base to keep all of my things (and I won't be traveling to 5 more countries afterwards). Unfortunately, as soon as I give myself the option of packing more than the bare necessities, I have a hard time keeping my extraneous outfits and personal things down to a manageable size. I spent all evening stressing about it, but eventually I was able to close my suitcase (once I sat on it... and tilted it slightly to one side).

Whoa, so I've got my tickets, my bags are packed, and I fly out on Friday. How do I feel about that? I checked in with myself a few days ago, as I was preparing to leave St. Olaf (where I had been working on my Fulbright application, woo!) and I started to feel like I wasn't mentally prepared for this trip. For two weeks I had been reconnecting with all of my friends, trying to spend as much time with everyone before I left, I even had a farewell concert with my beloved band, Dirty Petrov and the Gentillionaires. I was having a blast! How could I leave? I am excited about Ukraine, but honestly, it's going to be a rough transition. This isn't study abroad: I won't have a host mother to take care of me, and there won't be any Oles living down the street ...I am out of the bubble! That beautiful, comfortable, friend-filled bubble with the nation's #1 college cafeteria. It's a little scary, yeah --- but you know what? It's time to grow up a little, and to distance myself from that surreal hill-top life.

Hurray for being a big girl --- Here is Gogol Bordello, singing about growing up (sort of...)

I'll write my next update from Kiev!

Sarah