I can see for miles, miles, miles..

Okay, peeps. This is it. Today I leave America. Just for a little while. Feels surreal.

These last few days have been so bittersweet...I'm going to miss the Hastings College family more than I ever imagined. I wasn't really expecting it to feel so sad leaving. But the drive to the airport with the best friend (thanks Mark!) got me starting to feel excited again. We pulled up to the sidewalk and the United Airlines sign and my stomach dropped. I'm currently sitting by my gate in Omaha and still have that funny feeling. I'm sad to leave and excited for what's in store at the same time...it's confusing and wonderful.

For anyone not in Nebraska, the thunderstorms last night were so nice. I was really enjoying the bursts of noise and flashes of light that sprinkled my three hours of sleep last night :) felt like the place was sending me off. I also very gratefully enjoyed my last midwestern American sunset for a while yesterday evening.

Clearly it was a nice one :)

Nebraska, you will be missed. I'm so thankful to have such wonderful people to come home to after my big adventure!! (Seriously. You guys rock. And you're all going to have fantastic semesters.) We're going to have so much to talk about when I return.

While you're on the internet right now.. if you haven't heard Bon Iver's newest album yet, you need to follow this link right this very second: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcyIpul8OE and experience the beauty that is "Holocene".

I'll post again from Spain!! (AHHH!!!)

Love!

Rubea

One week to go...

So here we go! In seven days I'm leaving America for a few months to do my junior year's fall semester abroad in Meknes, Morocco. I've looked forward to this for years, and now that I leave in a week if feels so surreal!

It's been a pretty crazy process to get to this point. Deciding where to go, when to go, how to pay for it...and now it's actually happening? So. Freakin. Satisfying.

Getting everything together these last few weeks has gone surprisingly smoothly! I think I had a personality transplant because I was so productive the last two weeks. The only major glitch? Stupid wisdom teeth. Luckily I had everything else ready to go before I was knocked flat on pain meds for a few days.

Now I'm at home in good ol' Hastings for the week and so happy to be here! I am thoroughly enjoying spending time with my school family after a long summer of separation, and before I jet off for a few more months.

Next Tuesday I fly out of Omaha. Elyse and I fly in to Madrid, Spain and meet Amanda for a day and a half in the city. Then they meet their program and I take a train into Granada, Spain to meet my program. We have five or six days of orientation then ferry to Tangiers, then to Meknes!

I'm feeling really good about everything, and so excited to get going! I love the expectations of new people, experiences, and adventures to come! :)

-Rubea