The Night Before

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 Hello Blog People!

Well, the adventure begins tomorrow. I cannot believe that I am finally leaving. I wanted to write down my thoughts, for you to know and for me to look back on. 

First off, it still doesn't seem real that I'm going to be leaving for months to live in a different country and culture. It's crazy, and I don't think it will seem real until I say goodbye to my family or until I'm on the plane. The vocal I've been using has gone from "I'm leaving in September." to "I'm leaving in two weeks." to now "I'm leaving tomorrow." It's nuts! But, also, very cool.

Second, I'm actually very excited to leave. It seems like it has been a long time coming. I've been praying for a while that God prepare me, mentally and emotionally, to leave. And He has done that. I'm looking forward to no longer talking about this big trip, but actually doing it and officially starting the adventure. I have been at home for a long time, so I'm grateful to go do it now. It's becoming the time of year when people are assuming I'm around because I came back from college. But instead, I say "No, I haven't left yet." I had that conversation a lot. Not that it's bad, it's just that I'm ready to go. I'm scared too, but channeling the excitement for now. 

Third, it is going to be very hard to leave my family. I will miss them a lot when I am in Florence. We have spent a lot of time together this summer, and I'm grateful that I got to have these extra weeks with them.

Fourth, I'm so grateful for all the people in my life, from my school friends to church family, who are praying for me and wishing me the best. I have the greatest support system through all of this, and I know that there are so many people thinking about me and praying for me as I start this adventure. I know it will be rewarding for myself, with all the experiences I will have and the lessons I will learn. But it's good to know that I will come back to people who are excited to hear about what I've been doing. However, it won't be a total surprise because I'll keep this updated. Anyways, more prayer is always appreciated

Lastly, thank you for coming with me on this journey. I have told enough people that I'm writing a blog and now I have to keep it updated, so please keep me accountable for that. Pray for me as I get on the plane tomorrow afternoon, and throughout all the time I spend over there. Those are my thoughts for now. 

Ciao,

Ellie


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