This is about how I felt Monday afternoon after receiving a slew of vaccinations and a packet 2 inches thick of just medical information for this upcoming trip….oh yeah and after setting up my home for the next year…
Yep, that is my house and closet for the next year, minus Maddox, which honestly brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it 
. Maddox has been with me since he was 7 weeks old and will be turning 7 right before I leave. I really don’t know how I am going to go a year with out him, I love him so much. If anything stopped me, it would be him but I am trusting that he will be taken care of while I am gone and will still love me when I get back 
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I can’t decipher if what I am feeling is an “impending feeling of doom”- an indication for death, for those of you not in the medical profession, that is sometimes indicative of a pulmonary embolism- don’t you worry I have been studying for boards!
, insurmountable fear and anxiety or uncontrollable excitement. I am quite confident it is a hodgepodge of all of the above.
I get variable reactions when I tell people what I am doing: some are concerned (rightly so), some are doubtful, some don’t really know what to say and then some are ecstatically happy, reassuring me that this is going to be an opportunity of a lifetime!! Thank you to those overly ecstatic happy people. You put a smile on my face and help me keep the courage up to continue on.
8 days until training camp; 21 days until I take my PT licensing boards exam; ~90 days until I launch to go to 11 different countries with my backpack, tent and 50 other people that I have never met 
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For those of you that don’t know yet, I will be going to Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Ecuador, Peru, Columbia, Chile and Argentina.
THANK YOU SOO MUCH for those of you that have donated! You have no idea how much it means to me. I am about 50% to my first goal of $3,500 by October 15th in order to go to training camp. YES that is really soon…every little bit counts! Help spread the word and please consider donating by clicking on the above link or contact me about sending a check if that is your preference.
I am extremely excited for training camp where we will be living “primitively”, be tested to make sure we are “cut out” for this, meet our teammates, bond and have some fun! I can’t wait to update you guys about the whole experience! Until next time…thanks for stopping in
