I have finally finished packing! (sort of)  It's been pretty overwhelming deciding what to leave behind, but now that I am finished I feel very relieved. Tonight we had a party for my brother's birthday and my birthday. My sister made an amazing chocolate/strawberry cake, and I spent time with my whole family. This, of course, makes leaving tomorrow so much harder! Although I do not have DC orientation until the 24th of July, my mom, my brother, and I will be driving to Georgia tomorrow in order to say goodbye to my grandmothers, cousins, aunt, and uncle. It feels very weird knowing that this is the last night I will sleep in my own room this year. I am savoring every minute I have with my family, my pets, and my swing set. I have been counting down the days for my trip to start, but now that it has come, I am becoming increasingly nervous. Besides packing, I have been spending most of my time studying German and emailing with my host family. They are extremely nice, and I feel like we are a perfect match. The German language has proved to be pretty difficult. Many times when I try to think in German, my mind starts to switch to Spanish. Once I stop thinking in Spanish, my mind decides to think in English. I have a feeling that the first month or two in Germany will entail a lot of gesturing and miming. I have also had to say goodbye to many beloved friends. I have had to say auf wiedersehen to many classmates that I have gone to school with for almost six years. I stopped in the UPS store to say goodbye to my godfather, Thermon, and I have said goodbye to several teachers whose classes I will not get to take this year. One of the hardest parts of leaving is not being able to take my pets with me. I don't think it is as hard leaving people because you can still talk to them. I know my mom will email me and text me, and I know my whole family wants to come visit as soon as possible. My dogs and horses have no opposable thumbs or frequent flier miles. My dogs, Cleo and Tilda, keep looking at me with sweet, big eyes, and I can't stand the thought of leaving them. Thankfully, my sister has offered to take care of them for me, and I know they are in good hands. Although I am bubbling with excitement, it is hard to leave home, and I know that I will miss my friends, pets, and family members. For now, I will savor every last minute I have at home!