Saving the best for last- Deland, FL

From the instant I bought my ticket to Ghana, I have been waiting for the moment when the magnitude of this momentous trip would hit me. I'm leaving the country for three months; that's way longer than any other trip I have taken. I'm leaving for Africa; never been there before, I'm definitely an outsider. I'm headed to a refugee camp with no running water, what a foreign thought. And for the past month and a half, I have been excited for my trip, but I have felt no anxiety. I have been unaffected by the idea that my life is about to be uprooted and radically changed. But tonight, it hit me.

I chopped fresh mangoes, bananas, and strawberries as I prepared a fruit salad for dinner. The tedious task of chopping and slicing had become a delight. I thought, "When will I get this chance again?" The after dinner shower I took still lies fresh in my memory. Nothing feels better than a shower when you know that it will be the last one of its kind in a home you love. I hope that I can remember that shower all summer. My last shave on American soil was absolutely a hack job. The dull blades scraped my cheeks as remaining facial hair stood up and flipped the razor a last defiant F you. It was still the best shave of my life. All of my lasts were all the bests, the best cool blast of air as I opened the refrigerator, the best moonlit night, the best mosquito bite, the best everything. 

Everything that I took for granted suddenly mattered. They suddenly were tied so strongly to my emotions that even as I write this stupid blog about a shower and a shitty shave, tears stream down my face. Not tears of joy, nor tears of pain or sadness. Just tears of raw emotion, tears created from the memories of chopping fruit and lathering my hair. Tears created from putting on aftershave and packing my pillow. Tears...

And still I don't fear the loss of these items; put me anywhere for 3 months, and I'll survive with or without a refrigerator. Better yet, put me anywhere for 3 months and give me an awesome group of friends to support me, and I'll do more than survive; I'll live. 

Thank you to everyone for your well wishes and support. I can't wait to get to Ghana, and I know I can't fail with you guys behind me.