Overwhelmed

Hi everyone! :) I leave two weeks from today- can you believe it? I can hardly believe it... I think it hit me yesterday that I am actually going- actually leaving. I met with Vickie Miller, the woman who runs the orphanage with her husband, yesterday. They live in Liberty and just got back from 6 weeks in Peru. She showed me pictures from all different views of the orphanage. She also showed me soo many pictures of the kids. Just looking at the pictures of those faces, I was already losing my heart to them. I am not even there yet and i am already dreading leaving them- it will be so hard. She also told me a little bit about what it will be like. At the orphanage they have 5 volunteer apartments. Most of them have a room or two and a bathroom- I was really excited about that- I didn't know I would get my own bathroom! :) But, sad news, she doesn't recommend flushing the toilet paper. She said it used to be fine, but they have started to have sewage problems. I am doomed to always visit countries where you always have to throw toilet paper into the trash can!! She also said that the main food staples are rice, potatoes and beans- so guess who will be learning to like beans??
My main responsibilities at the orphanage will be helping the Madre's- those are the 4 women that are the main care-takers of the children. I will be babysitting and helping with the sick ones, and doing the girls hair, and just about anything else you can think of. In addition to that I am going to help set up a library system for the orphanage, take lots of pictures for the website, cut the girls hair, and complete the volunteer manual so that other volunteers don't have to wing it! :)
I am still excited about going and I know without a doubt that I will love it, but it hit me yesterday and today that I am really, really, going to miss my family and friends so much. I keep thinking about the days that I will just want my mom to hug me or I will just want to go get coffee with my friend. I will miss my sister and Lucas' homecoming and the celebration to follow. I will miss my dad's birthday and many others. I won't be here for fall to watch the leaves change color. I will miss my first holiday(thanksgiving), and I will miss all the everyday things I take for granted right now. I know that I will be blessed by this experience, but today I am just feeling overwhelmed and a little sad. I know that I am closing the Curves chapter of my life and that is harder than I realized. Those ladies have come to mean so much to me and I know that I won't get to see them on a regular basis anymore. I don't like big changes and I am not good at goodbyes, and it is all happening at once.
Like I said, I still am going and have a huge desire to go, and don't for a second regret my decision, but today it is just really real. :) I know that 3 1/2 months is nothing and it will fly by, but I have never been away for that long.
Love you all
janie