Last Minute Packing

Yes, I did leave a million things to the absolute last minute. Yes one of those things is packing... but packing has always taken me a week before and I end up with way more stuff than I need or use so this time I'm going for the last-minute-freak-out-strategy. Along with saying goodbye to everyone else, and forgetting to say goodbye to a lot of people who are important to me. It's a lot bigger this time.. but I remember being nervous about Morocco, about Ghana, about Uganda, hell even about UI. Life works out. We're an adaptable species when we want to be. Realizing that everything will probably be fine, however, is not the same thing as feeling it. It's like my whole body is clenching up, my lungs are getting tired of it.
I will miss my family. I miss them already. It's a lot easier to focus on the excitement later, on the plane... today all I feel is the losses without being able to acknowledge the gains.