Could there really only be four more sleeps until I leave for Uganda? Let's see....

4 sleeps....24 hours a day....that's.....ummm.....24+24+24+24....no way! Yes, I think so....Wait! The calculator.....Thursday (12.5 left) Friday (24) Saturday (24) Sunday (24) Monday (23 hours 55 minutes) :)

I'm a math whiz! Drum roll please............

107.5 hours until I leave. Thank goodness! Here I thought I had less than 100 hours to go!

Ok...minus work.....Thursday (7) Friday (11).....minus "night with the girls" on Friday (4)....minus Cornerstone dinner on Saturday (7)....sleep....right....I need to sleep....8 (yeah, right!) hours/night x 4 nights (32).....minus dinner and goodbyes Monday night (6 -- yes, it does take me a long time to say goodbye).....minus team BBQ on Sunday (4)....so where are we now?

calculator........drum roll......107.5-71=36.5

Look at that 36.5 hours of "free time". Time to pack, pay bills, do banking, clean up my place. Some people put in a whole work week in 36.5 hours and I have that much "leisure time" left. So why am I sitting with this panicky feeling that I'm not going to get from here to there and it's all going to fall apart? I know it's unwarranted and that I'll have everything I need by then and it'll all work out, but still, I'm given to moments of panic. Like when I remember I have to also do laundry, still go shopping, get to church Sunday morning and, oh yes, bathe. Maybe I should be picking up a copy of that book, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff".

Last Sunday morning at church, I ran into Reese Archer after service and she asked me how everything is going. A calm came over me as I was reminded of why I'm going. "Just get me to Uganda and put a baby in my arms" was my answer to her. That's the important part of this journey. Right now my head is just busy with all this "stuff" because I haven't done this before. My brain is trying to figure out the best way of sorting everything I have to do and it's having to create "new folders" because a lot of it is new. But how exciting! What a challenge! What a gift to be able to do this!

And I've had so much support. People have gotten involved and their support and encouragement is so appreciated. If I don't say it when I see you, please know that I go away with a lighter heart once I've spoken to you. And to all of you who have said that you wish you could come with me or are "living vicariously" through me....welcome on board. This next month is going to be fabulous!