Leaving On A Jet Plane

In a few short hours, I will head for the airport, where I will board a plane to London and then to Uganda. It seems like forever ago that I chose the SIT Uganda: Development Studies program, filled out my application, harassed my professors to get recommendations written on time, and found out I had been accepted to my program. It feels entirely surreal that, in about a day and a half, I will be in Kampala. I am feeling incredibly excited to begin what I have no doubt will be an unbelievable adventure- with a healthy dash of nervousness mixed in too, of course.

Mostly I am just really ready to go. Witnessing the excitement of all of my William and Mary friends at going back to school (through a rigorous regimen of facebook stalking) while I play the waiting game has brought on a good deal of nostalgia for W&M and has made the countdown to liftoff very acute. However, my personal countdown really began when I had to say goodbye to Lauren after 4th of July weekend. The realization that I wasn't going to see someone who I have lived with for two years and has essentially become family for five months really brought home the reality of this upcoming semester. Then came Leksa about a week later, and I had to say goodbye to my other roommate/sister. After that, was a steady stream of goodbyes as friends came and left DC, I left DC, and I had to say goodbye to my friends and family members in Denver. Saying goodbye to all of the people in your life one by one is a really curious experience. As you give each friend or family member a hug, and walk away, you have a moment to dwell on exactly what that person means to you. You think about how glad you are to have that person in your life, and corrispondingly how sad you feel that they won't be in it for the next few months.

In a way, the process of saying goodbye to everyone this summer has felt like taking an inventory of all the people in my life. And as I get ready to leave, as I look back over my notes and tallies, what leaps off the page (oh we're running with this metaphor) is the stunning surplus (sorry, I had to) of love in my life. I am so very blessed to have such wonderful friends and an amazing family.

So while John Denver may not have known when he was coming back again, I do (Dec 31st), and I am truly lucky to have so much to come home to.

If you want to get in touch, email me at amstern01@email.wm.edu, comment on the blog, skype me at alena.stern, or write me at Plot 18, Kanjokya Street, Kamwokya, P.O. Box 23431, Kampala, Uganda (but let's be real, email makes wayyyy more sense)