You'd think I would be good at packing by now....

Packing is one of the biggest first-world-problems you could imagine.  The mere fact that I have to sort through my many possessions and decide what to bring makes me feel a twinge of guilt.  I mean, I'm going into the Peace Corps.  I'm going into the developing world.  And I have to decide how many t-shirts to bring.

Well, despite these twinges of guilt, I'm in the process of sorting through my things, deciding what to toss and what to save, what to put in storage, and what will accompany me across the pond.  I'm not stressing about this, per say, but I'm definitely wanting the silly process to be over.  If only I could magically have everything that I needed without having to think about it.  Since that magic is not at hand, I'm just going to have to suck it up and trudge through making decisions about what I bring.

First world problem.  Most definitely.

Let the Abenteuer begin...

Abenteuer....definitely one of my favorite German words.  Literally meaning "adventure," this word became a regular part of my vocabulary while I was studying abroad in Karlsruhe, Germany.  My friend Bekah and I would use this often, when a situation might be unpleasant if we didn't have a positive attitude.  Whether we were stuck in the rain, waiting for a train, busy getting lost, or merely trying to get through the complicated German bureaucracy, shouting out "Abenteuer!" would help to alleviate the stress that could otherwise overwhelm us.

I've taught the word "Abenteuer" to my German students, made my fellow crew members with the Wyoming Conservation Corps learn it, and now I'm using it in the true sense of the word.

In less than two weeks I will be leaving my Colorado home for the Peace Corps, where I will teach English in Tanzania for the next two years.  I believe there are a load of adventures in my near future....