cool as a cucumber, that's me

In almost one month (well, exactly one month once the clock strikes midnight) I'm going to Moldova, a small country in Eastern Europe. For two years. Holy crap. The reality of this comes to me in waves -- I've been pretty busy with trying to graduate college and see old friends and do every Northwest-y activity that I can in my short time here, which keeps me pretty well distracted -- but then it hits me, and the butterflies reappear in my stomach.

The few times I've wondered whether I've made the right decision, though, I just think of how I'd feel if the Peace Corps suddenly told me I couldn't go, or if I decided to stay, and that reminds me how much I want to do this. Sure, I've heard the food leaves something to be desired, and the winters will be a lot colder and snowier than I'm used to, but this experience is something I've spent the last year planning and preparing for. Actually, I've really been planning this since I was a little girl listening to stories of a family friend's experiences in Africa. Also, I figure if 4.5 million people can live there, I can surely handle it for two years. And finally, I can always go home. Not that I plan on doing that, mind you, but in case something crazy happens it's nice to know it's an option.

Now, for those of you reading this, if I start whining about how I miss home in some lonely phase down the road, please do your best to remind me how much I'll be kicking myself if I bail out (but again, not that I expect to entertain such an idea). It might also help to tell me how it's bleak and raining a lot in PDX, traffic sucks and, oh, I dunno, that if I come back I'll have to get a proper job and begin repaying my student loans. You know, that sort of thing.

As I read this entry it strikes me as a bit bland, like I'm describing an upcoming trip to the mall or something. I think what happened is I reached such a state of mental stress and chaos that my brain turned off. That's right, people spend all sorts of time with yoga and meditation to be chill like me, and here all they needed to do was ditch all of their belongings, friends, family, and beloved cat and move halfway around the world to a country where they don't speak the language.

Yep.