The Countdown begins

So, I was in Des Moines this weekend and it was strange. It was great to say goodbye to my family but at the same time it feels like I'm cheating. There are so many people that have gone abroad before me for longer periods of time and/or without access to the internet and Skype and all the easy ways to stay in touch with family that I'll have. I know that I am a "concrete" kind of person and saying goodbye when I'm the one who lives outside of Iowa and the rest of my family is still there didn't feel any different than usual. There is some normalcy in the way we've built things: my family comes to visit in Mpls or I go home and things go on hold while I'm there. But then, it is Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Spring Break and it is normal to see things slow up. Regardless, there is nothing greater than the "Auntie Kim" that gets yelled as I walk through the door since my nephews don't see me regularly enough.
Here is my youngest nephew, yes, I have a collection of them. It was great to spend some quality time with him too, knowing that by the time I get back, he won't want to sit and hang out with me or at least anyone for that matter...

Last night I couldn't sleep at all. I don't remember a time that I've seen so many hours pass by on the clock. I lay there panicked that there is so much left to do and I'm down to 2 weeks!

2 weeks to: pack my bike, to finish the banking stuff, to figure out the suitcase, to hire a new French teacher (don't ask), to send Skype to everyone, to clean my apartment, to understand what the heck I'm teaching, to figure out how to vote (okay, I've got the paperwork, it just has to get sent in) ... and the list goes on. Needless to say, I was up at 5 this morning and already working on the list of things.

I arrive in France on the 10th. My bike gets there on the 12th. I can't wait. I am excited to call French friends I've not seen in a while and thrilled that I'll have my first visitor on the 11th. Visitor #1 is French so I am looking forward to the inside scoop on banking, figuring out the cable, the internet, and... practicing to drive the Kangoo.

I don't have much other news other than fatigue is starting to set in. I think that the two weeks that I'll have been the arrival and getting to school will be some major "pajama time" because I haven't had any of that since before March...