Departure: Inner Journey

When I left class on Wednesday to get my luggage from home, I started feeling really nervous. When I got home, I felt like I was forgetting everything, but I also realized that I didn’t have much time to spend with my family and dog before I left. This made me even more nervous because I am such a homebody. I’ve lived in the same town, in the same house, for the past 21 years. I finally gathered everything that needed and hauled it all down my stairs. I made sure to love on my dog a little bit more because I know I’ll miss her. I usually spend my lunch break everyday playing with her, so I have a feeling she will miss me too. Every time I travel away from home, it always makes me realize how much my family means to me, and how thankful I am for them letting me have these experiences.

I was dreading the hour and 45 minute drive to the train station in Champaign. When I was in high school, I was on the dance team, and we would drive hours away for competitions every weekend. The drive to the train station reminded me how important patience is. I learned that I’m still capable of driving long distances without getting bored. I also learned how thankful I am for good friends. I wouldn’t be going on this amazing trip if it weren’t for Kendra and Marcy telling me about it. I realized how important things like this are in building friendships. We were all really nervous to go because we didn't know what to expect, but we decided that we were all in it together. It has been non-stop storytelling and laughter between the three of us.

While on the train, I liked to imagine I’m on my way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry just to make things more exciting. I haven’t taken a trip like this in a while, and I’m proud to have learned that I can still sleep just about anywhere. Neck pillows and cozy blankets are a life-saver. I’m very excited to see what else I’ll learn when we reach the city.

Kendra, Marcy, and Me