In 100 Days I will be leaving America. I will stepping foot onto an airplane headed to my beloved China. I will probably be totally freaking out. I will probably be overwhelmed with emotional goodbyes, big bear hugs that I won’t want to end, and crying big, fat, crocodile tears.
In 100 days I will have had my last night’s sleep in what will probably be the last “normal” bed for a year. I will have enjoyed my last bubble tea from Balance, French onion soup from Panera, and my last heaping helping of my mom’s chicken paprikas. I will have had my last “normal” shower and used the last bathroom fully equipped with a toilet, handsoap, and a hand towel.
In 100 days I will finally have all the details ironed out. I will have added a few more pages to my passport so I’ll have enough, gotten some more lovely vaccinations, bought all my gear, and packed and repacked a few hundred times.
But I AM RIGHT HERE. I am sitting at my computer in Toledo, OH and thinking of how crazy fast time has flown since I heard of the race last July. Since July, so much has happened in this crazy process of preparing for this HUGE journey I'm about to leave for.
I'm so tempted to think ahead all the time. Yes, there are legitimate things I need to do to prepare for what will happen in 100 days. Yes, God is working on preparing my heart for what will probably be the hardest, easiest, intense, restful, adventurous, and profound year of my life so far. But I'm choosing to be present and enjoy where God has me right now. For now, I will continue to enjoy precious time spent with my best friend. I will continue loving on my nephew and sisters every chance I get. I will spend as much time with my parents as possible. I will continue teaching my awesome students and enjoy being a home health aide. I will pray for the future and get things done, but I'm choosing to be present. The present is all I have right now and I am SO GRATEFUL for it!
