Off to Thailand!!

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; well, the flight of 9000 miles begins with a check-list!

I'm off to Thailand! My first international trip; well I've been to Canada and Mexico, but most people I know wouldn't consider that international travel (actually, a few wouldn't even consider it travel! But I do!!). :)

Now if I would have picked my first trip it would have been London or Australia/New Zealand; however, I've always wanted to see Asia since I'm partially Asian myself. But my trip to Thailand was a very impromptu decision. My dad and I were eating breakfast at Butterfield's Pancake House one Friday morning when he said, "I wish you could come with me to Thailand next month." I nodded as I took a bite of my garden egg scramble and flipped a page of the newspaper. "You know, you should come with me to Thailand!" my dad repeated. I glanced up, this was serious. I grinned. He grinned. The deal was set. After breakfast he was calling his travel agent and by Monday morning everything was booked. Suddenly I didn't feel so bad I hadn't found a new job yet!

Prepping for a month long international trip took a little more work than I thought! So checklists were whipped out as I coordinated clothes, makeup, books, shoes, granola bars, tanning sessions.... All the essentials! :)

The great surprise is that I am nervous. Really nervous! For a girl whose ideal is to write and travel as much an humanly possible, the idea of traveling for 28 hours and spending 4 weeks in a foreign country is making me somewhat apprehensive. And I already know why... it's part of a dream coming true. One I didn't expect to see for awhile and I literally got thrown into it, suddenly, out of the blue thrown in... and it's freakin' awesome! I feel grateful, and blessed and nervous! And I'm excited because I know God is ready to do some big things in my life; this is just one small step forward.

After feeling somewhat lost in transition for awhile it's so amazing to start a journey that I already know will be such a life lesson. It's more than a trip; I look forward to the way it is going to change my life.

So for those who know me well, I cannot go long without talking on my phone..... I don't know how I am going to manage without it! Therefore I will be taking advantage of my blog to share stories of the people I met, places I'll go, and things I'll see. So for my dear friends who want to keep updated, please check in once in awhile to see how the journey is going. I'll miss you all!!! You can email and myspace me while I'm there; internet is easy to find and cheap! But, oh, my poor phone.....

"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?" -Isaiah 43:19

PS 28 hours on a plane is just wrong.
PPS If anyone wants to tape The Office for me while I'm gone... well I heart you if you do!! :)