Let the countdown begin! 5 days til...

I LEAVE FOR SWAZILAND!!!!

I have waited a whole year for this week to come... and it has NOT been easy!  It's actually very surreal to think that this time next week I will be checking in Africa. Like, really?, in one week I'll be back in Swaziland?  Back to my favorite place on earth?  All I can say is AHHHHH I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!

I just spent a week at the beach and sadly had to come home today :( but now that I'm home, I'm all into preparing for Africa. Unpacking? no, I hate unpacking.  My current plan is to just move my clothes from one suitcase to the other... besides a lil sand, they're fresh and clean.  Not kidding, just throw in some t-shirts, leggins, and long skirts and I'm good to go!

I'm talkin about printing out pictures and making scrapbooks to take along, figure out something to make for the kids in my community, play slideshows over and over again to prepare myself, hang out as much as possible with my friends and family, and pray like crazy that God will truly bless this trip and that I will use up every single moment I'm down there.

It's actually starting to feel real, not just some date wayyy off in the distance.  IT'S FIVE DAYS AWAY!  That's LESS than a week!!  I'm trying not to totally flip out and am doing pretty good at it, but come Wednesday and then Thursday morning... there might be a teeny bit of flipping involved... but probably because of excitement!  I'm even looking forward to the 16 hours plane ride; it gets me 16 hours closer to my sweet Nongcebo and all the other children and adults in the DonDon community!

This week, I'll have my Africa playlist blasting and last year's pictures rolling.  Looking through pictures makes me miss everyone there so much!

I have to admit, though, that I'm nervous to see if everyone we met last year is still there.  I guess I'll find out soon enough!  But until then I'll just listen to my songs and watch my pictures and slideshows over and over again... and jump up and down because what I have been anxiously awaiting the past 360 days is just 5 days from becoming reality!!!!!!