Packing up and saying goodbye ...

'Twas the night before takeoff and all through the house
Were siblings and parents - no room for a mouse.
A daughter was leaving and packed to the seams
A father was hoping she'd spend within means!
A mother made dinner - the best of its make
She even provided a delicious cheesecake.
One sister was ailing, confined to her bed
Another was well to the top of her head;
A brother was decked in his white baseball gear
And quite good at the game in his very first year!

And up in the room where two windows face south
Sat a girl at her bed with a pout on her mouth.
Though glad at the chance to explore overseas
Saying farewell left her weak at the knees.
She couldn't believe that the time was at hand
And her summer this year wouldn't be on the sand.
Yet goodbyes were coming if she liked it or not,
So she wiped off the frown right there on the spot.
As her smile opened wide and heart beat like a drum,
She squared off her shoulders and said:
SANSEPOLCRO HERE I COME!

I cannot express my excitement as I think about what is in store over the next 11 weeks.

Though I'm almost completely packed and well within the 24-hour countdown till departure, the reality of the matter has yet to sink in - and I won't be surprised if the surreal sensation continues until takeoff (or beyond). This trip will be my first excursion outside U.S. borders, my maiden voyage as a "world traveler." I will covet your prayers and emails over the next few months, both for me and my family while I am away. They have all been so wonderful during the whole preparation process and I cannot thank them enough for the hugs, notes, kisses ... and peanut butter Cap'n Crunch :)

Today my good friend Sarah came over to help me pack for the summer and unpack my post-college wreck of a bedroom; honestly, without her I could not have tackled either and come out with my morale in one piece. She kept me moving through my list of to-do's, accompanied me to pick up my supply of contacts (then drove us home when I realized I had removed my driver's license from my wallet in preparation for the trip), and narrowed my superfluous idea of what needed to come along down to a manageable load. THANK YOU SARAH!!!!

The equally difficult task has been saying goodbye to friends and family. I've never been very good at farewells and the past couple of days have been full of them. Today's goodbyes included bear hugs from Sarah, a tearful parting with Amber over tiramisu, and a surprise visit from my aunt who came with hugs and other parting gifts. I don't even want to think about the goodbyes in store for tomorrow. I'm really going to miss these guys ...


As far as communication goes, my access will be limited to brief stints at internet cafes, so I plan to use this blog as my main vehicle for updates. I would love to receive emails! I will do my best to respond, but please don't get angry if I take a while to get back and the response is very brief. Due to the iffy nature of White Rabbit (Meredith's email provider) and a few frustrating battles I've had with Gmail over the past few days, I opened a Hotmail account - bekah.williams@hotmail.com. Please write me at this address instead of my Meredith or Bellsouth accounts as I will not be checking them regularly. You cannot email me too often! Emails make my day :)

Arrivederci i miei amici!

Baci,

Bekah

P.S. For those who live in the Raleigh area, please do me a favor and give my family lots of hugs! I will miss them very much ...