My initial flight (which has a brief layover in Denver) is in just a few hours.

 
A few hours!
 
I will be in LA by 10 a.m. (12 p.m. CST) and then off to hang out with some of my LA friends before I head on over to meet up with my team at 4 p.m. in preparation for our 7 p.m. flight to Auckland. Which should only take 12-14 hours.
 
So yeah…!
 
I cannot wait!
 
I am exhausted, mind you. Espcially after my bi-annual ‘siblings day’ in which the four of us go on some sort of adventure. Today, we braved 4 degree weather and took a train to downtown Chicago. We wandered around a bit, Nathanael took photos, and Abs, CJ, and I ice skated.
 
So, now, after re-packing my pack for the 5th time, I am about to hit the hay for a few hours before my drive to O’Hare International Airport.
 
I am t-i-r-e-d and a tad sick, but other than that, I am ready to go. I don’t have any second thoughts about this being the next chapter in my life–mind you, I wish I were in a “better” place in my relationship with my mother at this point in time, but I am learning to be okay with this.
 
Regardless, I am ready to be a missionary and launch on this adventure.
 
The next time I post, I will be in the land of sheep and hobbits. Good thing I caught up on watching “The Fellowship of the Ring” the other day–otherwise, I had forgotten about second breakfastes and et al. 😉