16 hours untl takeoff

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Well, I'm in Chicago, in Dave and Jon (high school friends of Jeff's)'s apartment, after spending the last two days running around like a decapitated chicken (yeah I know, cliche, but it's really pretty accurate). Jeff & I have been scrambling to get ready for weeks now, but the last two days have been insane... People coming and going constantly, taking furniture and odds and ends, both of us trying to sell our cars and all our furniture and electronics while getting all the meds, clothes, and other assorted gear we need for 8 months and somehow cramming it into two backpacks. We spent all day today trying to make a 6:30 p.m. bus to Chicago, and made it to the bus stop at 6:26 (thanks VERY much to my dad for hauling the last of my stuff and Spencer for the ride to the bus stop), only to realize that the bus actually came at 6:00... Luckily there was a 7:00 Greyhound at the other station, so we were still able to make it to Chicago tonight. It'll be nice not to have the bus ride the same day as the flights, plus it's great to see Jon and Dave. Our flight leaves Chicago at 5:50 tomorrow afternoon, and we'll get into Amsterdam around 8 a.m. their time, after a 2-hour layover in Paris.

I left so fast today I hardly had time to realize that this is really happening... Saying goodbye to everyone was kind of surreal, and it's weird to think that I don't have an apartment to go home to for a very long time. It'll hit me gradually I think. Right now I'm super excited, a little nervous, and mostly just really really tired and sore from moving. :-)

Thanks SO much to everyone who helped get us moved out. It made the whole crazy process so much better. I'm off to bed... next time I write it'll be from Amsterdam!

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Comments

[Anna]

I love you Laura and I am excited to hear all about this journey. :-D don't be nervous!