Lucas writes....We fly to Vanuatu tomorrow. The living room of Alex's parents is currently taken over by our packing activities. There is literally clothes, electronics, books and plastic bottles everywhere. We bought snorkeling gear and limited ourselves to 10 books each. Alex picked up a how-to book and an educational DVD on how to play the guitar, she's hoping to get a cheap guitar in country as to sing me love ballads every night before she sleeps. We bought some Uno cards and colored pencils to bribe children (for friendship) and some cheap solar-powered calculators to bribe adults.
We expect to be up late packing tonight...
Alex and I have had a beautiful time these past 2 and a bit months, visiting many (though not all) of our favorite people. Except for one Antarctican we (by chance) ran into in a bar in Pittsboro, NC and a girl we met in New Zealand that we saw (by chance) at a puppet show in Chapel Hill, all of our visits were with friends we hadn't seen since we left for Antarctica nearly a year ago. Everyone was so kind and it felt good to be so loved and welcomed by so many sweet, gifted and wonderful people.
Much happens in a year, many of our friends are starting families, my niece is walking, friends have moved and switched jobs and found new loves. My grandmother celebrates her 90th birthday with all 16 of her children (and probably most grandchildren and great-grands) next month. One of Alex's good friends is having a baby this week and two of the closest people in her life announced engagements (one was a technically only a announcement of the inevitability of an engagement, but that's besides the point) last week. The point is a lot is going to happen in the next two years and knowing that we will be warmly welcomed into so many homes (and by so many amazing people) when we return home is a big deal.
Love you guys, wish us luck and pray for us.
At 12:15 am Alex writes: I am printing out the last of the paper work we need to go abroad. All our bags are packed and ready to go. I told my grandmother goodbye and we both cried. I ate ice cream with an old friend on a bench yesterday...We've known each other for fifteen years and can still talk until 1:30 a.m.
I can't believe that our friend and family tour is over! I loved seeing those folks we could catch and I hate it that there are folks we couldn't catch this time around (Julie, Joey, Mike and family, Lorena, Jen...and so many others)
There should be a word for feeling scared and excited all mixed up together. It's a delicious feeling...I am enjoying it.
Today at the dinner table, my mom reminded me of the two peace corps volunteers we met in Lesotho, Africa. I had told my mom that I wanted to join the peace corps and she wanted to gather information about what this peace corps thing was all about so she invited them to dinner at our house. That was in 1997... sometimes dreams take a long time to come true.
Thank you to everyone who supported us on our way to Vanuatu. We couldn't have done it without you! We probably won't be able to post a blog entry for a little while as we will not have access to technology. Please feel free to write us letters about anything and everything! We promise to write back! All my love and hasta la vista! Alex
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You're going to do amazing things!
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