Travel Log: 9 hours and counting down

So as you can tell by the title, in 9 hours I will be flying out from home and heading to Orientation. The anxiety/nerves have hit. Am I ready for this? A year is a long time. Will I be able to handle all the responsibilities? Did I pack the right items? What if I forgot something, whether paperwork or something in my suitcase?

The answers are all Yes and It will be okay. I am not alone. Orientation is a testimony to this. Tomorrow I will meet all National YAVs who are all in the same boat as me: we have no idea what we are doing. We will use this upcoming week to prepare ourselves for the year, both spiritually and mentally. We most likely will be presented with challenges that we haven't dealt with before. We're going to test ourselves the next year, putting others before ourselves.

Orientation takes place at Stony Point Conference Center. What happens there/how is it set up? I don't know, but I know I'll come away stronger and more ready for the year. There is a worship leader, who will lead us with keynotes and hymns. I will get to meet all the people who I have been in contact with for the past nine months. Finally, I get to meet the ladies with whom I will be spending the next year.

Next week we have our own local orientation where we will learn the lay of the land. The ladies and I will get to explore the community we will be living in (will have more about that in a future post) and all around Asheville. We get to visit each other's job sites and learn the bus system. We will come up with rooming arrangements and our covenant of living together. It might be information overload, but if I forget at least I'm not the only one listening; I can ask someone else for a review.

Things I will/won't miss about Florida:

I will miss my pets. Where we are living is a pet free place and I don't know how often I will interact with furry friends. Cuddling with my guinea pigs after a long day has always comforted me.