T-Minus 8 Hours...

Well, the time has finally come and I will be boarding flight one of two at 6am! Surprisingly, I am not as anxious as I thought I was going to be. It is one of those moments where I really don't feel like I am going any where. Of course, I say that now but when I am landing in San Jose tomorrow afternoon and everything is in a different language and I am being ushered through the lines to customs I might feel differently... :)

Tonight was exactly what I needed though. I got all of my packing done relatively early and my Mom helped me clean up my apartment (thanks again by the way!) I spent a few hours this afternoon alone just getting my thoughts in order and making sure I had everything together...I was honestly wanting to be alone because I wanted it to hit me that oh, I don't know I was making a huge change and moving out of the country for six weeks! Nothing happened though...I felt more at peace then I have for the past week or so and I think it is because I know that I have made the right decision to go and volunteer for a short time and put myself out of my comfort zone. It all sounds so cliche but regardless I am happy that I have been calm about this anticipated trip rather then having a panic attack over it. I know some people reading this might beg to differ about the levels of anxiety I have displayed over the last week or two but...hey, you are just not human of you don't panic a little about something like this!

I am so excited to see where I am going to be living and what kind of people I am going to be meeting these next few weeks. I made a promise to myself that if I did do this that I would go out and experience it to the fullest. I feel like this trip is one of those times where you have to tell yourself "you can sleep when you're dead!" Six weeks in retrospect is such a short period of time to emerse in another culture so I want every thing I can out of it.

So with that said....

SEE YOU ALL IN 6 WEEKS!!*

15 days to go!*

Wow, I cannot believe there is only fifteen days left before I leave for Costa Rica! Where does the time go!? I think it finally is starting to feel real because of everything that has gone on this past week. First of all before I continue I want to just thank everyone who has been so supportive of this decision to move to Costa Rica and do volunteer work. It really means more then I could ever begin to say...

But the BIG news of the week is that I finally told my bosses that I was leaving the company to pursue this opportunity. I think it took them a bit by shock but I also don't think I could of left on a better note. They were both very supportive of me and wished me well. Which is all I could ever ask for. 

It was a great opportunity and I grew personally and professionally with the company even though I was only there for a short time. I am grateful for the experience and for the friends that I made while working there.

As soon as I quit my job and walked out of the office for the last time was the first time that BOOM! It all hit me that this was real and that in a few short weeks I would be packing my bags and boarding a plane to Costa Rica. I guess I shouldn't say that, that was my FIRST realization of this trip being real because a few days prior to me quitting I was sitting at the doctor's office squirming while the nurse gave me my shot for Typhoid (ouch!). That made things real...That, and my arm was sore for two days after the fact haha. 

I have never been more excited, anxious, nervous, happy about something in my life. I think because I know that this experience is going to change my life in so many ways. I think any time you take yourself out of your comfort zone you allow yourself to grow as a person. I think not only do you realize more about yourself but you allow yourself to open your mind and viewpoints on different cultures, beliefs, ext. I hope that I continue to push myself out of my own comfort zone, especially while I am young. I also think it is fundamental for everyone to take risks in their life because you will never know what you want to do or where you want to go until you try. 

Now off to make packing lists and practice my Espanol..... :)

{Had to share my excitement over my Lonely Planet Costa Rica book that my uncle bought me!}

1 month before Costa Rica!*

"Follow the tugs in your heart. I think that everyone gets these gentle urges and should listen to them. Even if they sound absolutely insane, they may be worth going for." -Victoria Moran

Since I can remember I have always dreamed of living in a big city. I moved to Chicago barely a month after I graduated college in August 2012 to start a new life, job, and adventure. I knew that my first job wouldn't be my dream job but going from Criminal Justice to Logistics was quite the 360 change. In the 6 months that I have lived in the city and have embarked on this new life, I have learned so much about myself. 

With that said, a few shorts weeks ago I made the decision to volunteer abroad in Costa Rica. This decision, I know shocked my family and friends. It also shocked something inside of me. For the first time, in a long time I finally feel alive. I feel like this is something that I not only want to do but need to do. 

As I've grown up my family has always inspired me to do things that are out of my comfort zone and to do things that I am passionate about. The support from my family members is something I am forever grateful for. Their support has made me feel like this really is the right decision for me. 

There has only been one other time that I really felt like I needed to do something that was this...drastic.  That was picking up and moving to Chicago after getting offered a job that required me to start work the very next week. I knew in that moment that Chicago is where I needed to be and that I was going to go out in to the world and really do something for myself. Chicago has been one of the best decisions I have made thus far. I can finally say that this is my home. 

So why leave it all? 

You are only young for a short time. There are very few windows of opportunity for someone to go out in to the world and make a difference. This is what I want my life to be about. I want to go out in to the world and make a difference in people's lives, I want to experience a different culture than my own. I want to understand other people so that I can better understand myself. As I prepare for my journey to Costa Rica, I feel more and more confident as the days pass that this is exactly what I need to be doing at this point in my life. 

So thank you for those who plan to follow me on this journey..