Upon realizing that I was not
able to find my passport in my apartment just days before the trip…
Anton: “Mom, I don’t know what to
do… I can’t find my passport… what can I do?”
Mother: “Don’t worry, I have it.
I found it lying around and kept it from you in order to teach you to take better
care of your things. You always lose things…”
 |
| Into my backpack they go! |
That conversation occurred on the Monday of
the week we were to leave for Viet Nam. Truthfully, I wasn’t able to get
excited along with the rest of the MEMObers solely because I wasn’t able to
find my passport until then. I had been
stressing out about my passport for weeks and was envious of the people who
were getting excited while I would go day by day worried about the possibility
of not going on the trip.
 |
| Tanks on tanks on tanks. |
The relief from the moment I found out
where my passport was felt like a release. I felt like I could FINALLY get
excited for this trip. After the firecracker explosiveness of finding my
passport, my excitement level was just about steaming throughout Monday night. It
was simmering Wednesday when I went to go buy some supplies. There is nothing
that will quicken the approach of an event more than shopping, where you go out
and find the necessary materials for your departure.
 |
| Some necessities. |
I’m sorry, I lied. There is actually something that will make the trip come sooner, and that is packing. Especially when you've lagged, and started just hours before you leave for the airport. Despite the looming mini-anxiety of forgetting something important, my excitement for the trip was at an all-time high. I was jittery and could not sit still for the life of me.
As I packed my articles of clothing into
my Ziploc bags, it slowly dawned on me what I am about to embark on. The
realization of the work I’m about to do, the people I’m about to help, that I will
be coming back to my homeland.
