Twenty four hours from now, we'll be in Puerto Rico! Woohoo! It feels so rewarding after all the hard work we have done. It sounds strange, but over this last week--as the date of the trip got closer and closer--it felt as though it was even further away than it was months ago. These last few days leading up to it have been the hardest for me. It takes me back to when I was really little and how, on Christmas Eve or the night before my birthday, I would get so racked with excitement and anticipation that going to sleep felt like the hardest thing in the world. Now that I'm older, those feelings, for the most part, have not changed. The only thing that is different is that now, in addition to excitement and anticipation, I am also experiencing slight trepidation. I am a worrier. But I am glad that I feel comfortable enough with the group of people I'll be with that I am able to face my fears and not let my anxiety hold me back, or keep me from experiencing all that Puerto Rico has to offer. And so, I have used that mentality to create my very own mantra for the trip:
"Nothing--no illness, injury, worry, homesickness, or fear--is going to keep me from enjoying myself and having a good--no, a GREAT--time on this trip." Phew! There...now I've said it, it's official! I will do my very best to remember what I just said, even if I get a little overwhelmed. Because, honestly, a trip like this happens once in a lifetime, and if I don't let my guard down and enjoy myself, I will regret it forever. Whatever fears or anxieties I might encounter are only temporary and will be forgotten quickly, whereas the possible memories I am gaining from this trip will last a lifetime. If I had to choose between being scared for a while or reminiscing forever, I choose the latter. No contest.
