time to go!

well, the time has come where i really have to say my goodbyes. said bye to leanna and tracy on friday, matt's family this weekend, frisbee yesterday, and my parents and matt tonight.
the bags are packed and i guess that i'm ready to go. not really sure if the suitcase is under 50 lbs. oops!
i have had such a wonderful few days. on friday, tracy, leanna, and frisbee came over to help me pack and stuff. it was great just hanging out with them. i must commend them on their packing abilities! also, frisbee and leanna helped me get ready for a hot date with matthew on friday night. matt and i went to the blue ridge grill! it was awesome. the restaurant is set up like an old home or lodge, but modernized a bit. matt and i got to sit in this semi-circle booth, so we kind of same-side sat....sorry, everyone. :-) matt got steak and i got the salmon, of course. it all tasted so good. matt was particularly excited about his sweet tea that he could sweeten with a sugar water concoction they give you. another interesting thing about this restaurant was the giant picture of a hare above the fireplace. i think if i thought about that thing before going to sleep, it would give me nightmares! after dinner (and a creme brulee dessert, yummy!), we drove to carrollton to visit with matt's family. hanging out with them all day saturday was so wonderful. we were busy getting the farm and house ready for family to come over that night. they had a big family get-together to celebrate the latest birthdays and graduations, which they included me in on too. they are such a wonderful family and so similar to mine that i feel very comfortable.
yesterday, matt and i came back to canton to be with my family. josh couldn't come home, since he had to work, but it's ok. going to miss my brother...
frisbee hung out with us yesterday as we all just sat around, had a steak dinner, and i finished packing. it just doesn't feel real that i am leaving. and it won't, i guess, until i'm on that plane, landing in RO.
my heart is so sad to say goodbye to my parents and matt today. they are all so excited for me and have provided so much strength for me in the last few years. you know, i've never described myself as a brave or courageous person. in fact, i've always thought of myself in the exact opposite terms, but my parents, matt, frisbee, trace, and so many others, have encouraged me so much lately by telling me how brave i am in doing this. i have dreamed about going overseas, really helping people, for so long, and now that is actually happening. here goes my journey......

not really sure when i will first be able to update when i arrive in RO, but will notify all of you as soon as i can. i love each of you dearly and thank you for the support that i could not live without. :-)