22 hours to go ...

Well, it's finally here - in 22 hours Razu and I will be on a plane to Washington D.C and then onto Paris.  As of right now I feel nauseous ---- this is actually happening.  I spent a lot of yesterday running my few remaining errands - today I have to pack, make photocopies of all my important stuff, take some pictures of my house and neighborhood and say goodbye to my closest friends.  This is not going to be an easy day.   I've really felt numb to the whole process for the last week or so - but today I feel painfully aware that I have just under one day left in my beautiful, sunny Arizona.  I know that I should be feeling excited right now - I keep telling myself that - but there are so many things I will miss.  This is a lot all at once - new job, first time away from home for longer than 3 months and my first time living more than a 10 minute drive from my parents - all in a new country!  I know that it'll be fantastic though!

Last night my parents and I celebrated the upcoming journey with an absolutely fantastic dinner.  I'd been saving a bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne that I received as a gift for my graduation as well as a bottle from my favorite Arizona winery Callahan and we paired them with a French style roast chicken, baked sweet potatoes, beets, a very fresh salad and for dessert a layered peach and fresh mozzarella with balsamic vinegar.  My dad made the chicken, salad and dessert -- and my mom and I both agreed that I'm leaving at the wrong time.  Lately my dad has been cooking phenomenal meals, and we both think that they're only going to get better.  Later my mom made a crack that they'd be missing out on some amazing food, but I have to disagree - my dad is in an absolutely amazing cooking phase.  It was a great meal and a great sendoff.  Tonight we're doing leftovers -- which sounds good to me!

In some more happy news, there is a chance that the housing situation has been worked out - Danielle just informed that someone at one of her schools has offered us school housing!  They have also offered to loan us some furniture!  Apparently the apartment is usually for a school administrator - but it's not being occupied this year.  They told Danielle that it would be fine for both of us to live there, so we're currently in the process of finding out how many bedrooms it has and if they'll accept the cat (and if they say no to the cat, we're thinking of taking the ask for forgiveness stance - if you know what I mean).  The best part is that the rent is 500 euro including all the utilities - it just doesn't get much cheaper than that!  I'm really hoping this place works out - the other apartment that I had an appointment to see is no longer on the market -- so here's hoping that school housing works out!