Eesh!

I'm in Philadelphia right now and will probably be waking up in a little over 5 hours to get ready to head out. We're getting our shots in the early morning and then heading to New York to go catch a flight to Cameroon! The Surreal-ness of this whole venture is beginning to slide away and the reality that I will be spending over two years in Cameroon is slowly taking it's place. I almost lost it on the way to the El Paso airport yesterday after I said goodbye to my dog who I will probably never see again and was preparing to say goodbye to my step mom. Insanity. But I am incredibly comforted by the fact that everyone here is essentially in the same boat as me and we're all kinda freaked out. I'm scarred shitless and honestly afraid of what is about to happen, but I'm also so indescribably excited (I don't really think the two can ever truly be separated, right?) that I think all the fear, self-doubt, anxiety, and probable hardships that have and will come will be worth it.

I've met some very cool, nice people here in Philly and I think we have a good group of people. I also think that I'll be able to get along with and make some good friendships with a good number of them.

Too many other things to think of now so I'll just leave off with two quotes/saying that have hit me particularly hard in the last few days:
-This is what Derek told me when I left Seattle: "Hey man, this isn't goodbye. It's see ya later." It's hard to say how much that simple line has helped me when parting ways.
-A tattoo a girl I met today named Stephanie (who is going to Togo with PC) had on her arm: "Make the most of today because tomorrow is a promise to noone." I'm sorry if I got the quote wrong, I'm just typing it from memory, but I think it's a pretty good way of putting how I feel right now.

Thank you for reading. I will be back with more once I'm in Cameroon. I'm not religious, but if you are... pray for me.