The last week

Packing is well underway as things find their way into one of four piles: throw away, give away, store away, or take with me. I've already made my first trips to the dump, the Upper Room, and taking stuff home. It's very freeing in a way. As much as I like to think I live simply, I still have so much I can live without. And I don't think I ever would've cleaned house if it hadn't become a necessity. Anyway, I highly recommend it.

So this past week reality has really started to hit. I watched my last Patriots game, played my last gig, lead worship at church for the last time, went to my last youth group. Today was my last Tuesday in the States for a year. I've started saying goodbye to people that I won't see again before I leave. When thinking about all the things I'll miss while in Africa, I'm realizing how much I really do love about being here. There's something to be said for the traditions of Christmas music and hot chocolate, cold in the air and snow on the evergreens, that make Christmas seem like Christmas because that's how I've grown up. It'll be interesting experiencing many of the same things from an entirely different perspective. For Namibians, Christmas has always been a summer holiday during some of the hottest time of the year. Sand replaces snow (sand replaces most everything there). So it'll definitely be different, but that's part of what I'm looking forward to, understanding life from a different perspective, expanding my small New England mindset on things. Hopefully I can express some of that to you here, but I think mostly you just have to experience it yourself. So come visit me! :)