Because I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane.

Chaos

Well this day has come. This will probably the last time I use my computer in the States for a while. The last few days have consisted of packing, watching copious amounts of Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and the Lord of the Rings (why yes, I am a nerd). They have been spent running, spending time with Emma, and enjoying the nothingness that comes with the nearly two weeks of limbo between the end of work and Thailand.

Sorting 

My bags have been packed, unpacked, packed again, stared at, and then unpacked, trimmed up a little bit and packed some more. Note to self- I hate packing. There are so many things I would like to take to remind me of certain people, of certain times and experiences. I am trying to keep it simple, taking only bags that can be carried on my shoulder or back. One checked bag (~40lbs) a carry on (~15 lbs) and a laptop bag (~who knows how many lbs). There will surely be things that I have packed and didn't need, and just as much as that is true there are bound to be things that I would give a leg to have packed. I think that is all part of the experience though.

My life, the portable version. 

I have traveled before, but this time feels decisively different. I have always been so overwhelmingly anxious before, counting down the seconds until it is time to head to the airport. This time I am simply enjoying the moments that I have before I leave. I know that tomorrow at Terminal 5 International Departures at Chicago O'Hare will be a hard time. Not so much for me, but for those around me. I am not anxious for this trip like the others because this is different. This is for a much longer period of time. But to everyone- I will be back... Although the idea of a little food shack on some beach somewhere has crossed my mind.

Move more rapidly and take even sharper turns.

Whoa, where has the time gone. I remember when I first encountered the idea of teaching abroad. It was a far off idea that a couple of my friends are currently doing. They did not know what they wanted to do after college and we were on the eve of graduation. They had the idea to teach abroad in South Korea. Wow, this was brilliant! Live abroad, and get paid!!! It seemed like the chance of a lifetime.

But I had other options on my plate. I was going to apply to be the Peace Studies Coordinator at Manchester College, a year long paid internship. Boom. I rose above al the applicants to be chosen for the position (okay, who am I kidding- I was the only candidate who applied). Although, I was ecstatic to given the opportunity to stay around Manchester for just one more year and provide service to the Peace Studies department.

But wait, what about Korea? I kind of forgot about the idea. Korea had been an option, a last ditch effort in case things did not quite work out as planned with the peace studies gig. So I started my position at the college. Time started to fly by. The school year was going quickly, unlike when I was a student. It was about November when I revisited the notion that I could teach abroad. So I decided to put all my efforts in to making it happen.

I was reading through tons of recruiting sites, blogs, official government tourism sites to get a feel of what and where would be the best place to teach. I talked to my friends who are currently in Korea, searching for advice.

So that was it, I was going to go teach English in Korea- that was the plan. The application process was long and tedious. Mountains of paperwork just to get accepted into the recruiting program (CIEE, Council for International Education Exchange if you are interested). After being accepted into the program there was more paperwork to be filled out and signed, and stamped, and other official things that are done to papers to make them more official.

Thailand. I changed my mind, as I often do. So scratch that, new plan. I wanted to go to Thailand. Luckily, CIEE had a program based in Thailand as well. So Thailand was the new plan. The only drawback with Thailand was that I was going to have to leave three months earlier than I had planned for. I wasn't ready for that. I would leave in June rather than in September. WHAT THINGS ARE NOT GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN!?!?

Well you know what, that is life. And now that I am less than two weeks now from leaving for the Land of Smiles, I believe that a lot has changed in a year. Little has gone according to the plan. Plans, to say the least, are overrated. Ask anyone who knows me, I am a person who likes to plan. I plan everything, I like to know how things are going to work out. But sometimes, things will not go according to plan. You cannot worry about it because life will not stop and ask you if it is doing things according to plan. On the contrary in fact, it will continue to move rapidly and take unexpected turns. So my advice to you is to move more rapidly and take even sharper turns. Plan, but not too far ahead. And if you are unable to follow the plan, follow life instead- it might take you somewhere more interesting... Like Thailand.