Tomorrow

That's right! It's 1:03am on August 21st 2013, and I leave TOMORROW!!! My Visa arrived Monday morning and my flights were booked Tuesday afternoon! I'll be leaving Tampa at 1:15pm and going to Atlanta, arriving at 2:45pm. I'll have about a 3 hour layover and then I leave at 5:50pm to Brussels and I will arrive at 8:35am their time, so Friday morning. I just found out that I will be flying with a girl named Jessie on the 9-hour flight to Brussels, so not only will my layover be fun, but the flight will also be! I don't think we'll be sitting together, but who knows? Maybe we can! I'm still hoping Ella and Naomi will be able to get on that flight as well. They still don't have their visas as of now, though they sent their applications out like a month before I did, so it's insane that I got mine before them. Hopefully they come in this morning and they can get booked on the same flight!!

I've done most of my packing, though I still need to do laundry. I've made and gotten all of my gifts, and now I just really need to make my pins. I've got a day to make over a hundred. I'm such an awful procrastinator. Hopefully I will make a bunch tomorrow and get those done. I've got to have something to trade with the other students!! I've got my airport outfit settled and just need to run to Target tomorrow to get "thank you" cards for over there and a pair of fake Tom shoes to wear at the airport. None of my other shoes really work with it, and they are soo comfy so I'm gonna pick a pair up tomorrow.

My friends Alexa and Taylor should be coming over later in the afternoon to go swimming and just hangout before I leave. It's going to be so weird saying goodbye to them. But I won't say goodbye. I'll just say 'see you later', because I'll be back, and Skype is always an option. :)

So, all I have left to do is laundry, finish packing, pack my carry-on backpack with all the medicine I bought (Claritin, Ibuprofen, that sort of thing), some books, an extra change of clothes, makeup, and things like that. I also need to fit my laptop in it, so it's gotta be pretty big. I bought some Mac n' Cheese and Peanut Butter to bring, as well as Reece's and some other candies! I can't wait for my host family to try it! My first family seems so nice and kind and genuinely excited for me to come! My host mum messaged me saying that my room was ready and that they were looking forward to picking me up from the airport and to meet me. I'll probably start crying when I meet them, to be honest. It's because of their kindness, as well as my other families, that I'm able to come to Belgium, and live one of my dreams!

On Monday, I recorded a radio show with my Rotary club's president, for a Rotary Radio station about women. I'm not really sure what it's called, and I apologize for that. They asked me questions about what I knew about my exchange, how the process was, that sort of thing. I got my 6 Rotary club banners to take with me and thanked them again and again for the opportunity to go on exchange.

I also just recorded my packing blog, but I may record another one when the sun is up so there is more light. I'll post a link when it's posted on Youtube. :)

I should probably go to sleep now, since I probably won't be sleeping for the next couple of days and I also have a lot to get done tomorrow. My next post will most likely be either at the airport or once I'm finally in Belgium. I can't believe that what I've been waiting for for two years is finally right in front of me.

Belgium, I comin' for ya.
-Jess <3

I leave two weeks from today...

Two weeks. 13 days. That's all I have yet. Though it seems like forever away. I'm filling my last days in America with friends, family, American foods, and sunshine. I'm busy, today, tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday... And that sure as heck never happens, so I'm excited to be hanging out with the people I love! Later today, I'm going to see Spring Awakening with one of my best friends James, Friday I'm going out with the "demigods" and watching the second Percy Jackson movie, though we all know it will be horrible. It's really amazing because we were all best friends, and still are best friends even now, though we went to different schools for high school. It'll be like being in middle school again. :3 Then I have a show Friday night (I get to be Larken!). On Saturday, I will most likely be going to Clearwater again with 6950 for their Inbound/Outbound get-together. I really hope I get to go to this one!! Sunday I have another show as Larken, as well. I've still got so much to do!! These last two weeks will go by so slowly, but also so quickly!

Today I had my last Rotary meeting here, where I was asked to do a vlog type thing for an international Rotary radio show on my exchange year! I'll be interviewed in a few days, and through Skype throughout my year, giving updates on what I've been doing. I'm really excited about that!! I love my Rotary club so much!! They are the sweetest people and it's funny because they take such pride on me being their outbound, since I'm the only outbound in my whole district. The District governor even knows my name and was apparently talking about me at a meeting the day before, so that's pretty cool. I feel famous in the Rotary world!

Anyways, I'm going to start packing in a few days, and will definitely be doing a vlog/blog about that!! 13 days!!

Au revoir!
-Jess <3

16 day update

I have 17 (in 3 hours, 16) days left until I leave and wow I feel like it will never come. I still have a lot to do like making pins, packing, learning French, packing, and making powerpoints. I've been shopping a lot trying to find clothes that will allow me to fit in in Belgium, so I've been buying alot of black shirts and dresses and jeans. I'm only allowing myself one more pair of jeans and shoes, because I have no shoes to wear. Target has boots coming in a few days so I'm excited to see the new options! A bunch of exchange students from Florida have already left for their years abroad, so sitting here still in Florida is the most annoying thing ever. I'll be making another/new vlog because the other one was way too long. I've quit my job and probably have one day left working there. I'm going to the beach with Morena tomorrow to get sand for our bottles for our host families. I cannot wait to leave and 16 days just seems like such a long time, though I know it'll be here before I know it. I still don't have my visa, but I hope it's here sooner rather than later.

16 day update: Complete.

Bisous,
Jess

P.S. - Here's my pin design!!