And So It Begins....

Well i cannot believe April 27th has finally come! When i first got my acceptance letter to the Jerusalem study abroad problem a few months back, this departure date seemed soooo far off. When I made the decision that I was actually going to go a few weeks later, that date still seemed forever away. But between finals, roommates getting engaged, falling in love, moving out of my apartment and a million other things, time has flown by so quickly and I really cannot believe that I will be on a plane to the other side of the world in about eight hours-crazy!

The decision to go to Jerusalem was by no means an easy one for me. It has been a dream of mine to be able to study in the Holy Land as long as I can remember. A few of my aunts and uncles had the opportunity to attend the program and I grew up hearing how amazing it was, and I was absolutely ecstatic when I found out that my dream could actually be realized. After I submitted my application though I started to question if it was really the right thing for me to do. One of my very best friends in the entire world had just gotten engaged, and going to Jerusalem would mean I would miss her June Wedding, which breaks my heart! (Claire-you are going to be the most stunning bride and I cannot wait to see pictures). The poor college student inside of me told me told me that I should stay and earn money this summer instead of going abroad. I hated the idea of missing a year at Lake Tahoe for the first time in my entire life (a Craig/Daines family tragedy) and not being in town to see visiting family. I knew though that the hardest thing about going by far would be leaving behind everyone that I loved for 4 months. Almost immediately after praying about it though, I got the answer that going to Jerusalem this summer was the right thing for me to do-and despite everything that I am missing, I could not be more excited! I know that this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience (I know people say that about everything-but this really is the only time i will ever have the opportunity to live in the holy land for such a long time) and I know it is going to completely change my life. I cannot wait to see the land where the Savior lived, experience a new culture, make amazing friends, and have the time of my life. I am so so so grateful for everyone supporting me and making this experience possible for me.

Well i have 18 hours on a plane to be looking forward to in the morning (yay!) so I should probably try to get some sleep.....or on second thought maybe I should wait and save that sleep for the plane.....but either way my next post will be from Jerusalem!

xoxo
Lauren