T-Minus 7 Hours

When I woke up this morning, I realized that after tonight, I would be away from my bed, home, car, friends, family, and town for 3-4 weeks. It seems so bittersweet, yet surreal, that my cohort and I will be leaving in the morning. After almost 7 long months (from the day that the four of us had gotten accepted after the interviews), the wait is finally over. My emotions have prevailed over me, showing nervousness, excitement, impatience, and plenty of energy. I have already been excited about this trip for over half of a year, and knowing that it is coming right around the corner, I can literally burst any minute. 

I have been quite busy this summer with other camps and plans but I think that I truly have saved the best for last, again, the infamous trip to Vanderbilt. I was at Wingstop when I received the final itinerary in the email yesterday, and had my eyes glued to the screen for at least ten minutes. I could not help but daydream about how the whole thing would turn out, from the moment we arrive at El Cerrito High School to when we are waiting for our flights to the college visits at Rice and Emory University then finally our courses at, Vanderbilt University. During the wait at flights, Arnold, Gwennie, Hummd, and I are planning to design our Vanderbilt blogging website! Every little thing has really given me a thrill that adds onto all of the eagerness and enthusiasm! 

My indecisiveness has not really helped with all of the packing, since I probably repacked my luggage about 10 times. A few hours ago I weighed it to make sure that it was not over 50 pounds (thankfully it is only around 30), but at least I know that I did not set myself up for struggle and torture when I will have to walk around everywhere with my luggage and carry-on backpack.

For the past couple of days, I have been trying to amend my sleeping schedule, so that instead of staying up until 3 AM, I can actually get some rest beforehand and wake up at that time. I am looking forward to the whole traveling part because it has been over a decade ever since I have even set foot on an airplane! However, I do not know how I should feel about the instant change in temperatures when we land in Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee (I do not normally experience humid and hot weather in the Bay Area). I am sure to dress in layers (as Jenny, our fabulous chaperone, has advised us to) and adapt to whatever the temperature may be. I am ready to take on the trip, alongside with my extraordinary cohort and wonderful chaperone.