And I'm Off!

I am currently sitting in the Charlotte airport waiting for my flight to leave in about 30 minutes. In the past 24 hours I have finished packing my woefully overstuffed bags, said tearful goodbyes to my friends and family, and been full of general nostalgia.

I have spent my last weeks here in the country knowing that I am leaving but not quite feeling it. Now it seems the other way around; I can see the plane outside that I am about to board, and I can see and hold my tickets and I have of course been through the pat-down process at the security gates. But all of that seems irrelevant when I take note of the circus that has set up shop in my insides. I am excited, nervous, terrified, disbelieving, sad, proud, humbled, and so much more.

In the words of Ron Weasley, "One person can't feel all that at once, they'd explode."

The sun has set now, and I realize that the next time I see daylight I will be in Qatar. I won't see North Carolina, or my mountains, or family or pets or horses, or, Lord willing, snow, for another six months.

I'm boarding now; will post more in DC :)