I have a one-way ticket to Atlanta.
I have all of my gear.
I have less than two weeks before I leave for launch.
I have every reason, and yet no reason, in the world to panic.
At some level I still kind of have this feeling of disbelief – for the longest time I honestly didn’t think I was actually going to go. After all of the drama of getting sent home from my first training camp, the idea of going on the race seemed a little too far-fetched. But I couldn’t bring myself to really move on my with my life – I never looked into going back to school or starting a real career, simply resolving to carry on with my temp job and see how it would go.
Time flies when you have a 9 to 5 job – the days may be long, but the weeks and months are short. One minute I’m staring at bacteria under a microscope, the next I’m packing for Training Camp.
I know two things. One, I’m most definitely going on the Race. And two, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I would go through all of the pain, emotional trauma, anxiety, and insecurity of postponing the race to be with the U squad now.
After that though, things start to get a little fuzzy. I have a checklist a mile long of things I need to do before Launch. I’m trying to spend time with friends and family while I still can. I also ate a ridiculous amount of chicken wing dip at a family barbecue last night but that wasn’t exactly one of my best ideas.
My brain, much like this post, is about as organized as scrambled eggs. When people ask about the race, they want to know how I feel. Excited? Nervous? Anxious? Prepared?
My answer tends to be “all of the above.”
I know I have to be intentional about my time before Launch, because if I don’t, I’ll be running around the day before I leave, making frantic midnight runs to Wegmans for things I forgot.
This could very well be my last post before launch, as I imagine these next eleven days will fly by.
I suppose the only thing I can say is thank you, to everyone who has been a part of this journey with me, and to everyone who will continue partnering with me in prayer. I couldn’t possibly list everyone, but I imagine you know who you are, and that I appreciate you more than words can say.
There’s a good chance my next blog post will come to you from Durban, South Africa! (And if I write another before leaving, that’s a good thing because it means I’ve found the time.)
Fundraising update: I still need just over $3,500 to be fully funded, and I would love for that to happen before I leave. If 70 people donated $50, it would be done! If you are interested in making a tax deductible donation, please click the “support me” tab to the left. Thank you in advance!
