At laaaaaaast.

I left my house yesterday with both parents in tow (or perhaps my parents left with me in tow) at 9:30 AM. We made it to Starbucks when I realized I didn't have my plane ticket. Luckily, this was because I never had my plane ticket. We then continued on our journey towards JFK (after I checked to make sure I had my passport and license, AGAIN). Thanks to 9:30 AM departure for my 6 PM flight, we were not late. Instead, we were three hours early. So we had a farewell lunch at the South Street Seaport in NYC before going to the airport.

This is where I must admit, my minimalist attempt did not entirely succeed. I did manage to take one suitcase, one carry-on bag, and one backpack. I didn't manage to keep it within the weight restrictions. Yes, my suitcase barely passed the weight limit for overweight luggage at 69.5 lbs. Lets just say I must lift with my legs to get it up and down the stairs. It seems as if space bags make things smaller, but not lighter. Go figure.

This is where I must shout out to all my wonderful family and friends who made my departure special: Thanks Mom and Dad for giving me a nice farewell parting and Mom for (of course) hiding a homemade Hershey Kiss pillowcase in my backpack while I wasn't looking. Thank you to my wonderful friends at Hope College who sent me farewell messages (and Miss Jackie who managed to send me not only a farewell message for yesterday, but a hello message for every week I am gone). Thank you all for the texts, facebook messages, and well wishes from everyone over the few days; the excitement you have for me has helped to mask my anxieties and focus on the adventures to come. And most of all, thank you to everyone who kept me in their prayers as a traveled across the big "pond" for an unforgettable semester. So far, so good.

Brief synopsis of the travels:
- Bought The Art of Racing in the Rain in the airport. Light read but good so far.
- Left from JFK on time. Six hour flight included the movies 'Just Wright' and 'Devil Wears Prada'. Queen Latifa - not your finest moment.
- Longest layover of my life in Madrid. It was only four hours but it spanned my biological clock of 1 AM to 5 AM and with no gate assigned, there was nowhere to sleep or veg.
- Quick 45 minute flight from Madrid to Sevilla allowed for a quick nap. I sat next to a girl who wants to learn Flamenco too! We exchanged e-mails so we can take classes together.
- Got to the hotel about an hour ago after waiting for the bus to drop off the first load and come back for those of us who didn't fit. I met my orientation leader, Miguel, who went over a ton of information with me (en español, of course), to which I responded to every, "Vale?" with a nod and "Sí!" All Spanish, all the time. So it begins :)

Well now I am off for a shower because I feel disgusting. A quick meeting tonight and dinner at 8. Orientation until Thursday and then I move into my homestay!