Being the last one to leave is not something that most of my peers have experienced, but seems to have become somewhat of a norm for me these past four years. Each year, I have watched my parents pack up, and more often than not been the one to drive them to the airport to fly back to Guangzhou. Usually, it's the parents who say goodbye to their children each year as they leave home and head back to school. I can empathize with parents whose children go to school far enough away that they only come home periodically during the year; is that strange for someone my age?

The last few weeks have been filled with family and friends, adding a bit of a bittersweet end to the 'college experience.' My last two month long summer is ending next Wednesday as I head to orientation in Pennsylvania for a week and than Cairo on the 16th. With that comes this incredible mixture of emotions. Part of me is so excited to go and so impatient to sit here waiting. Part of me has been so thankful for the time with my parents and extended family. Part of me cannot believe that I managed to survive doing something with people every day (minus two) that I was in Spokane (not in a bad way - I am so incredibly thankful for the time that I had with friends).

It is very bittersweet leaving. I know that it would not be much different were I staying in Washington, unless I were in Spokane or Coeur d'Alene, but sometimes it scares me that I don't even have the opportunity to spend time with people during the year. Already, just leaving for the West side of the state, I have lost touch with quite a few people, including some that I really thought would keep in touch. This on top of being afraid of the ramifications of the revolution that happened in Cairo a year and a half ago have made me more than a little bit anxious about going.

Packing in an already empty house is hard. It makes you reflect a lot and think about things that are important. What do you keep, what do you throw away? Life after college is terrifying. And so exciting. Sometimes I feel more than a bit unsure of myself, but I know that I have been pointed directly to working with MCC in Cairo for the year. Yes, it may be dangerous and I may be threatened, but I am going to really need to learn to trust that God will take care of me in every situation.



Side and almost completely unrelated note: I have discovered that chick-flicks are NOT your friend in cases where you are flying off to some far-away country for the year. They make you wish that people would appear at your doorstep to see you off or spend the last few days with you. It is SO frustrating wishing that this would happen.