Thanksgiving Bliss

I'm now sitting in Barnes n Noble, somewhere in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, killing time while my sisters and mom shop the day away. A great way to spend my second to last day in the US, don't you think? The last week or so has been pretty crazy. I finished the MTI Training in Colorado Springs and said goodbye to all the friends I made there. My good friend Greg flew to Colorado to give me company on the long drive home to Missouri and then I spent 3 days packing my life away and saying goodbye to everyone at home. Now I'm Dallas, visiting family, saying more goodbyes, and trying to finish up all the last minute details of my departure from Barnes n Noble (paying $3.95 for 2 hours of internet use).
So I head out for the DR on Sunday and I am ready to go, well, I'm mentally ready to go, I still have plenty to do to get ready, but I'm not too worried about that. Fortunately, it's pretty warm here in Dallas, so I'm officially done with cold weather for the next few years, this makes me happy. It's pretty amazing that in only 4 or 5 hours on a plane, I'll go from familiar, modern, home, to a culture that is entirely unfamiliar, poverty stricken, altogether far far from home, not in distance, but in every other aspect of life. It's a transition that I am so happy to be able to make. I'm excited about the kids I'll be living with and the work I'll be doing. I'm excited about knowing spanish, not excited about learning it, but once I know the language, it will be really nice.

I hope you have all had a great holiday. Please leave comments, they make me feel loved.