(and a backpack, but that’s beside the point)
I’m leaving. Soon. 4 days to go.
And my suitcase is empty. Absolutely bare. I have a running spreadsheet with everything that I think I want to take, but that changes about every time I look at it. Questions that are swirling around my head:
How many sweaters should I take?
Would I really wear that denim jacket?
How many pairs of contacts will I need?
And, the most difficult question, what about shoes?
Packing is proving to be more difficult than I thought.
My suitcase, backpack, and the growing pile of things I want to take.
Even though packing is a struggle, I’m looking forward to my adventures abroad. I can’t wait to see what PUCV (Pontifical Universidad de Valparaiso) is like, live in my new home, meet new Chilean friends, and get plugged in to some of the ministries that Veritas has to offer. I’m super excited to minister to the girls in a local orphanage. Another ministry also sparked my interest. It’s CEMIPRE, a church for the differently abled community in Vina del Mar. They have an option to work with the worship team there. I come from a music background, so that sounds like a wonderful opportunity. I’ll just have to wait and see what God has in store.
As of now, I’m still in the preparation stage. I’m trying to get everything done that needs to be done stateside before heading out on my Chilean adventure. I just picked up my student visa, (TIP: get started on this as soon as possible if you are planning on studying abroad. It takes some time for your background check to process as well as your application to process once it gets to the consulate) I have already purchased some Chilean pesos, I’m brushing up on my Spanish (half of a year off can be problematic) and learning about Chilean culture. I’m also working to save up some extra spending money. But the countdown to departure is decreasing every minute. 4 days until the adventure of a lifetime.
I can’t wait.
The Adventures of Jean 