To Infinity and Beyond!

As I sit at my desk doodling on a notepad, I trace it over and over again. The smooth, round edges meeting at a crisp junction in the center of a perfectly symmetrical shape. The number is 8. I leave the country in 8 days. When I say that my heart flutters up to my head and my stomach sinks deep into my gut. After months of planning and working out details, I am about to embark on an exciting adventure. In eight days I will leave behind the little world I've known and venture into a world that is entirely unknown, and entirely new.

Am I excited? Absolutely.

Am I scared? Absolutely.

Do I know what I've gotten myself into? Absolutely not.

As I was tracing the number 8 on my notepad, thinking about all that I have yet to accomplish in the short time that I am still here, I noticed something. I turned the paper on its side, and there they were; symbol upon symbol upon symbol redirecting my focus.

This was the doodle I'd been working on:

And this was a reminder of the infinite possibilities that I'm facing in the next few months:
 

I realized that I've been focusing on the tiny, finite issues I have to deal with in the next few days, when I should be focused on the infinite that lies beyond this week. I have so much to learn this semester, and what I do or don't do the week before I leave for my trip is not going to make or break my experience (well, except for packing-but that is almost done).

I guess the main point I'm trying to drive home is this: I am worrying too much about what is going on this week. I'm traveling across the state, visiting friends, saying goodbye for a while, and making final arrangements for my travels to the ship. I am not worried about those things getting done-I know they will be done by the time I leave, but I really need to think less about this week, and spend more time mentally preparing myself for the new world I am about to jump into. As everyone's favorite laser-packing winged toy spaceman used to say, TO INFINITY, AND BEYOND!!!