In Which I Hyperventilate

I have not been avoiding you. Honest. I spent the last four days in Atlanta, Georgia at my Pre-Service Orientation, making the acquaintance of some of the most amazing people.  There was the recently returned Peace Corps volunteer who plans to consume a 40 lb bag of rice over the next year while developing farmers markets in West Virginia.  The man who lost his leg in a sudden, tragic turn of a events a year ago and rather than dwell on it, decided to devote his time to a non-profit in his community.  I should also mention that he was CONSTANTLY upbeat, even while dragging me to the front of a bar to sing a Ke$ha song (who I'd never even heard of) in a pub quiz challenge.  So, so many people who, rather than floundering around in the year after graduating from college, have decided to live on next to nothing and do something GOOD.  I feel like a slow learner.

Oh, and--I am not making this up--my randomly assigned roommate turned out to be my long-lost cousin.

Magical things happen at PSOs.

I came home to one part neatly packed trailer, 3 parts chaos.  I have been trying desperately to finish the fantastic packing job my mom has undertaken this week, but every time I go to put more thing in a bag, I get choked up.  Plus, my mother is so frighteningly efficient that by the time I got home from the airport, not only had she left me no clothes to wear tomorrow, she'd also left me no light to pack by.  I ordered up dinner, but in my emotional haze, accidentally sent the pizza to the home of the last people I house sat for.  On the upside, free pizza.

My bed is packed, and I might not sleep tonight.  I would rather have a few more hours to snuggle with my girls than toss and turn in an unfamiliar bed.

Damn, but I'm going to miss my dogs.