Packing in Everything

I have had a good couple weeks.  Mom and dad came and hung out and helped me pack.  That helped a lot as I try to sort and pack all the items in my house.  This morning I spend another few hours working on this and am getting very close to having the bulk of this project done.  I am hoping to move things to storage on Saturday, since I won't need most of the items until I return to Kazakhstan long-term next spring.

These next few weeks are going to fly by.  I only have 16 days until I leave for Kaz.  Before I leave there are many people to see, good times to be had, and work to get done.  My evenings and weekends are quickly getting booked.  It is kind of funny, because having a busy schedule is something I have always had, but actually putting dates into my calendar for some reason stresses me out.  However, with as many things as I am planning, I have had to start putting things into my calendar.  As a result, life looks a lot busier than it actually is.

So much is coming together and I am getting more excited to head back to Kazakhstan each day.  I am looking forward to seeing my Kazakh family and all my friends over there and the kids I spent so much time with.  I will be traveling over to Kazakhstan with one of our interns and will begin preparations for our first delegation once I arrive.

I look forward to the funny stories that I will be able to share as I transition back into life in Kazakhstan.  :)  Thanks for your encouragement and support as I prepare for this journey.

Starting to Come Together

Plans for my trip to Kazakhstan are coming together.  I have purchased airline tickets!  I leave on April 13th and return on July 26th.  I will be traveling through Amsterdam both directions.  Also, yesterday I sent  my visa application away.  It was my first visa application this year, so I had to remember how to apply correctly.  It is a pretty detailed process.  Thankfully, I had notes from last year and could also access info from the embassy online if needed.

I am starting to sort and pack items.  It is too early to pack for my actual trip, but being gone four months requires a little more thought than just a short trip.  I am also enjoying the times I get to spend with friends.  I am starting to prepare myself emotionally for the sadness of leaving people here and the joy of seeing friends in Kazakhstan that I haven't seen since September.  It's sometimes difficult to have such completely differing emotions related to one thing.

I continue to be excited about what this time in Kazakhstan will hold.  I am not looking forward to all the details that need to take place in the coming weeks, but soon they will all be behind me and I will be on a plane to my "home" in Kazakhstan.  Thanks for walking beside me on this journey.