less than a week now. i've been preparing for this for so long, i just need to go already. everyone says goodbye and they look at me like its final or the end or something. its just a summer. thats what i keep telling myself. just a summer. can everything change in a summer? i guess we will see. i've packed, un packed, repacked, and then reunpacked again. pretty soon it will just be me and the planes and the layovers and customs and visas. it will be nice to put my feet on the ground in Africa. i'm sure the ground will feel the same. actually, i'm sure of nothing, i hope the ground will feel the same. i'm unsure of what my reaction to the culture will be. what if they hate me? guess we'll just have to find out when we get there.