Antici..........pation

The day, so long awaited, has finally arrived. I leave tonight for my grand adventure, and I'm overcome with a nervous melancholy about leaving. It came on almost suddenly, though if I'm honest, there have been wisps of it floating around, nipping at my quiet moments ever since I booked the trip.

Why the disquietude? I'm unsure, really. Five weeks feels like a long time, but even my thick-headed skull realizes that it's not. Years ago, I spent a summer abroad at Oxford and happily lived to tell the tale. (Though there was a brief moment in a London taxi that I thought all was surely lost.)

My friends have been nothing short of amazing. They constantly lift me up, make me laugh, force me to see what an incredible opportunity this sojourn to Kenya will be. They have indulged me in a long week of goodbyes and bon voyages. And while I am so very fortunate to have so many wonderful people in my life, I've been feeling unsettled, as though I've left something undone.

For while I am constantly surrounded by the family I have created for myself, I am far too far away from the family God gave me. I hope they know how much I cherish them, they are my constants. It's because of them that I am able to traverse an ocean and a sea and a couple of continents. And while I'm probably too old to admit it, it would have been nice to been embraced in a sea of hugs from all of them before getting on that plane tonight. But phone calls will have to do.

Provided I stop blogging and start packing, the next update should be from Kenya.

My time there will be a challenge, personally and professionally. Will I have what it takes to operate without all the modern surgical equipment I take for granted? Will I run out of gloves before I run out of patients? Will I be able to break free from my introverted self to enjoy what the city of Kisumu has to offer? Will I still waste as much time on the internet as I do in NYC? ;-)

Keep reading, I'll keep writing...