The time has come, the walrus said..

So Thursday I leave Maryland for over a year! My family will be sightseeing in Boston over the weekend, then orientation starts Monday (July 19). I'll have some cell/Internet in Boston, but no phone/laptop as of Monday! All the volunteers leave for Ecuador together on August 1!

I am SO excited! After a pep talk from my friend Lauren Thursday night (who gave me some GREAT advice from her volunteer year -- you're the best!) and a huge shopping trip to Target for most of the things I need, I'm totally ready to go. I'm so blessed to have had a great summer with friends, highlights of which include:

• hoby central pa, esp. laughing fits with kate and courtney (including our lanc/hv adventures later). imma be, imma be, imma imma 1B! 
• hoby maryland -- and bringing tina, jimmy and claire to the hoby family! happy birthday group 12 :)
• hoby new jersey, and all that time spent with jonathan and marie, plus my love rich green! oh say can you C5?
• country music festival with hallie and ali, meeting taylor swift, southern hospitality and world cup games!
• fun time at villanova catching up with SO many friends, sleepovers at fiona's (*whisper* can we go to bagel factory?), sushiland with will and justin!
• CONNECTIONS - bon qui qui, fishbowl, vuvuzelas, scavenger hunts to Cosi, van adventures, the dance / the freezer, airport runs, lots of great heart-to-hearts ... and basically just being obsessed with each other (m&m's anyone? lovedd nyc)
• 4th of july at nick's! like being back at college all over again!
• going-away party with lots of family, dance, hoby and villanova friends <3
• fun times with my family and home friends, lots of great texts and heart-to-hearts from friends all over!

My spanish still needs work, and my stickshift driving skills are subpar (though Molly did a GREAT job teaching me last week, so patient!), but I just cannot wait to get to know my communitymates, learn about Ecuador and start working at my placements! There are so many unknowns, like who I'm living with, where I'm working or what we'll be eating, but I knew even less last time I went, and it ended up being so incredible. RdC really is a phenomenal program, and all the other year-long volunteers seem SO cool. 6 days!!

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to those I won't be near a computer for -- especially...

Kristen S (July 20)

Kester, Laura C (July 22)

Jimmy (July 23)

Kara K, Lauren C (July 30)

Caitlin VS (Aug 1)

Maggie (Aug 5)

Julianne, Justin W (Aug 6)

Colleen K and Kasher (Aug 9)