Countdown

Two days until take off, too much to take.

I've put off unpacking and packing again as I want to take everything. I wish I had room to stick my younger brother and sister into my luggage also, not to mention my cat and one of our dogs...

I have a good bye book that I've been having people sign. Today I saw Michael, one of my best friends from high school and beyond. His mother and grandmother love me and don't understand how I can go so far away for so long. I had Michael sign my book and I have to go over to his house to say goodbye to his mom and grandmom.

My brother Stu started "college" at San Francisco State College of Extended Learning on Monday. My sister Tov started 8th grade at Albany Middle School on Wednesday. I live right between the high school and middle school and its weird to drive by them. I keep thinking I should be in school myself.

I don't have too many reservations about going to Israel, I've been trying to get there for so many years. This year, graduating, working, completing my high school education and experiences, has been all consuming. It has been easy to keep so busy and too distracted to feel other than excitement and anticipation. Certainly I'm sad to leave my familiar surroundings, the friends I've made, the routine I've become accustomed to, the roots I've worked on planting. I am used to things changing fairly often in our family living situation for various reasons. I was just talking with my mom about how this is the longest we've lived in one house since we moved to California 10 years ago - 4 years. My mother promised my youngest sister that she wouldn't move out of Albany until she graduates high school in 5 years. I wonder if she'll stay put in the same house, the one we consider home.

My brother is sad that he can't participate in the high school theater ensemble. Its a student run organization after school that most of his friends participate in. Since he's taking a full time course this semester at SFSU instead of attending 11th grade, its against the rules. I'm very proud of him. He's the youngest student ever taking this Digital Video Intensive. He's so awesome - I don't want to think of how much I'll miss him. He was gone for a month on a teen trip to Israel in July, but I was busy working and it went by so fast. We've gotten really close this year and I've tried to spend as much time with him as possible.

I'll miss my sister also. We've been sharing a room for the past couple of years. She is sooo funny and amazing for 13 years old. I'm already missing her changes...

I'm not going to miss my mom...NOT!!! We both agree we are looking forward to having space away from each other, but she's admitted to not wanting me to go at the same time it was her idea I choose this program over others. She's had a really hard time this year with everything going on with us kids, but I know she's going to pull through as soon as I step foot on the plane!

I'm flying down to LA by myself to meet with the group to fly to Israel. I've flown by myself to LA before, and to Seattle, and to Florida. I flew to Australia with a group after 6th grade. So I have no fears about getting myself around the airport. As a family we went to Florida almost every year and to New York.

I spoke at my meeting Monday night. I spent 2 hours talking with Jeremy and his sister last night after the meeting. Their mother died a couple of months ago and I know what its like to lose a parent...