T-minus 1 week...

In one week I will be in Germany. In less than a week, I board a plane and head out on, arguably, the biggest adventure of my life. In less than a week, I will leave my family, friends, and everything I'm used to and travel thousands of miles and seven timezones to a country where I barely speak the language and know just about no one. I'm terrified and excited at the same time.

My apartment is finalized. I signed the contract and got the deposit transferred. I've got a new webcam that I'm super excited about so I can skype home. I sent most of my clothes home with my parents over the weekend, now I have to start thinking about what to bring with, what I need, what I can leave home, and how much I really want to take with me. I've got a few lists going of things I need, things I want to do when I get there, and things I want to send home for people.

I can't wait to drink Apfelschorle (carbonated apple juice) again. I can't wait for Wiener Schnitzel (fried breaded pork/viel cutlet) and Weisswurst (type of bratwurst). I'm excited to meet new people, live in a new place, and see Munich again. I'm also really excited to start teaching at the school, see what their system is like, what the students are like, and what the subject matter is like.

I'm also sad to leave. Saying goodbye is hard, especially when I don't have another semester or year of school left. Not only am I leaving, I'm also finished with school. It's a difficult combination that makes saying goodbye to my college friends even harder. I know most of them have so many activities to look forward to in the coming months, and a part of me wishes I could still be a part of that. Alas, this is the hard part about change. I experienced it transitioning from high school to college, and I must experience it again.

So much to look forward to, so much to look back on. I'm mostly focused on the looking forward. I'm sure in Germany, I'll have plenty of time to look back.