Three, two, one...take off!

Well, it's 12:15 am. I leave in precisely 3 hours for the Salt Lake City Airport (no sleep for Heather tonight! Good thing I have a 24 hour plane ride ahead of me). I went to the mandatory, 3-hour orientation today which filled my stomach with a mixture of excitement and butterflies. But the butterflies went to bed already and now I'm more in a state of numbness. Kind of like, "Okay. I'm only flying to JERUSALEM tomorrow! That's all. No biggie."
Man, it was quite a process to get ready for this expedition. I'll never forget the faces of the workers at 4 different stores when I asked if they sold compasses. They looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears! I guess they don't get asked that very often. But the good news is, I found one! And if asking for compasses wasn't embarrassing enough, I walked in on a guy today in a changing room while searching for work out pants. Awkward! The store attendant laughed at me and then explained to me as if I had learning disabilities that "the knock" was essential. I told him I would remember that.
Conclusion: The Lord had a major hand in getting me ready for this: in deciding to go, in prioritizing, in finding EVERYTHING I needed, in not being scared or having any doubts. I know He's going with me tomorrow and will be very close to me throughout the next 31/2 months. I'm so grateful for His love and guidance. And thanks again to all who helped/supported me in this new adventure. Mom and Dad- you guys are extraterrestrial. (Can that be used as a compliment? Kind of like "out-of-this-world"? I wasn't calling you aliens. You're angels. I love you.)
To Be Continued...