Almost ready.

I leave for New Zealand tomorrow morning. I am pretty darn stoked. This trip is going to be a big deal for a lot of reasons. I have never flown alone. I won't know anyone in the group. It will be my first time in the Southern Hemisphere. I will finally get to participate in a conservation project. Basically, I am expecting this trip to be mind blowing.

I don't tend to get excited easily over these kind of things, but I can feel the tummy upset starting. The last couple times I flew to England, I ended up throwing up because the airplane food doesn't always sit well. I think it's always their breakfast foods. I don't know what it is, but things like Egg McMuffins and packaged sausage and blah blah has always made my stomach roil. So I think I will try packing or buying something that hopefully won't make me grab desperately for the barf bag.

I also feel kind of funny from my good byes. It's almost like this will be the first time that I will actually...miss people? I have never been homesick before, though I am always wanting to go to England, which is where my heart is. But when I hugged everyone at the Venue good bye and they looked genuinely sad...it felt funny. I kept telling myself that no one would miss me, that I am not a big deal in anyone's life so no one would really care. But I get the feeling that they really will. And that means I will.

But I will definitely be taking the time to call and email. I need to learn how to keep in contact with friends. I am growing up. I can't cut all ties like I did when I was a kid. I found some old letters a middle school friend wrote to me after she moved. I know the letters stopped because I wasn't writing much to her. I love my friends and I want to keep them, even if I end up moving far away. I want to be able to visit them every few years and catch up on all times. I guess this will be a training session.

I guess I am excited :)