hellooo! Three days and counting! This last week seems to be going extremely slow, it's almost like it enjoys torturing me. My chief occupation these last few days has been the tiresome task of packing. If you have never had to pack for a very long trip, you cannot understand the pain of it, if you have, I hope you sympathize a little! It is terribly difficult for a teenage girl to pack the clothing and supplies she will need for an entire summer abroad into one suitcase and a carry-on, not to mention adding a 50 lbs weight limit to the equation! I have packed and repacked and weighed and reweighed more than I would care to do every again! All unnecessary weight was removed, down to the cardboard boxes for pantyhose and the bulkier gifts. At LAST I got it down to 47.60 ( as of last night) but since then I have added several things... so it may not be so low now! It is also difficult to find anything to wear the last few days before a trip, as all my preferred clothes are packed! My mom cannot see what I am complaining about, my drawers are still full to bursting. However, I complain nonetheless, because most of those things don't fit right, don't match or I simply don't like. Why do I still have them then? Good question, and I have no logical answer :)
I have learned that the weather in Finland is not as warm as here, today it is only 16 C, about 62 F. On the other hand, I know that Washington D.C. will be in the 80s F, so I am glad I am bringing summer-wear. Last night my Estonian exchange sister,Stina, gave me some of the clothes she cannot fit into her suitcase, and they promptly made their way into mine! She is leaving early Saturday morning, I'm going to miss her! Also last night, a family friend came over with an amazing meal she had cooked in honor of Stina, Petra (our student from Finland) and me leaving. It was incredible, complete with a huge coconut jam cake with strawberries and apricots on top! All my friends and family have been so amazing, I really cannot thank them enough! I am afraid this post is a bit rambling,but that is a perfect mirror of my mood today, so it is fitting.