Hurry up, let's go

A few months back, when I first signed up to be a volunteer in Costa Rica, I wondered if the time would come, say, two weeks before my departure date, when I would be wishing I weren't going.

I imagined myself acting really excited, chatting with people about the work I planned to do, but then sobbing endlessly into my pillow at home, trying to think of some way, any way, to get out of it.

The two-week mark has come and gone, and my pillowcase is still free of mascara.

I am excited about the trip and so grateful for all of the donations and support I've gotten from my family and friends — and family of friends and friends of family. At first I dreaded asking people for money to pay the program fee, but it turns out the fundraising has been a really important part of this adventure.

Accepting money from people has forced me to take the endeavor more seriously. I feel accountable to my supporters and really want to do good work as a volunteer. And knowing that people have enough faith in me to write out a check in my name gives me a much-needed confidence boost.

I'm sure that soon enough there will be some crying done into my pillow, but for now I am too excited, too thankful and too terrified for tears.

It's a really good feeling. Thank you!

I know the arrow isn't in the right spot, but it's as close as I could find in my collection of stock photos.