Tschüss! This is it.

You know when your on a roller coaster, you first have to go up a steady climb before you take the dive? That is exactly how I feel. Tonight I leave DIA for Washington D.C., where I will meet up with all the other CBYX students and get on a plane to Frankfurt. I am like a whirlwind of emotions right now. It's like, I am so happy and so excited to be going, and I know that I am going on the adventure of a lifetime, but at the same time it has been so sad and hard saying goodbye to all my friends and family. I read a quote the other day that said, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." Exactly. Either way, it is only 10 months, and I know that things won't be all that different when I get back. If I weren't going on this trip, I would be doing back to school shopping, cramming all my summer homework in, and life guarding the day away. And the thing is, I would be miserable doing it. I crave this adventure, the desire to see the world and experience new things. So why is leaving so hard? I have so many amazing friends, and hugging each one of them goodbye has been ruthless. But I am so grateful that they are there, either way. I had an amazing going away party, the packing has miraculously been completed, and I am about to go print out my boarding pass. So here we go, I am at the top of the hill, ready to start a 10 month roller coaster that will take me half way across the world and who knows where else. Bon Voyage!