T Minus 20 Hours

This is my luggage pile that I will be taking with me.  The trunk and purple duffle are checked (50 and 40 lbs) and the brown/grey roller and the backpack are my carry-ons.  I'm pretty impressed over all.  The only thing that I didn't get to pack that I really wanted to was a black briefcase.  Maybe Dad can bring it when he comes to visit me in September.  (Noted:  everyone is welcome to visit me.  Please come!)

This morning was the first time I really felt excited about going.  So much of moving is hassel and stress and anxiety that I had no room to feel excited.  People would find out I'm moving to China and say "You must be so ex-CI-ted!!" and I would smile and nod even though I didn't.  Theoretically I was excited, but the emotion wasn't there until this morning.

HOLY CRAP I'M MOVING TO CHINA, TOMORROW!

But I'm not looking forward to the 24+ hours of traveling.  But I am excited at getting to my appartment and putting away all my stuff and having my new friends come over for tea.  And meeting my students and making them all think I'm crazy because I talk too much and smile too much and they have never had an English teacher like me.  On the whole, Chinese English teachers are pretty solem.

I'm excited about buying a hot plate and figuring out what I can cook (and what I can't).  And baking baby pizzas with no cheese and no tomato sauce.  So like... bread and olive oil and cherry tomatoes.  Something like that.

I know that I am going to break down and cry in the airport tomorrow when I say good bye to my family.  I nearly cry just thinking about it.  But this is what I'm called to do, so that's the way it needs to be.  As Donald Miller would say, a great story is not without tears.  Well, paraphrased.

Today:  ate baked brie for lunch and am eating mozzerella and tomato salad for dinner.  Have eaten pizza for the last three nights in a row.  More cheese tomorrow.  Then...  rice.  Will USPS ship cheese through the mail to China?