Friends, Family, & Lots of Love

Knowing that I am moving to Africa for two years has forced me to say many good-byes. I feel like I am used to this since many of my friends have moved across the country and the world and I also am always trying to travel. This is different though since I'll be gone for so much longer! I feel so fortunate that I have been able to see so many important people in my life over the last month as I prepare to leave.

My childhood friend Tricia is now living in Milwaukee so I visited her new apartment and had lunch. My college friend Ivy is a flight attendant out of Minneapolis and flew into Milwaukee for a day. We were able to hang out, run errands, and enjoy cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory! Ivy and I haven't been able to spend much time together since we lived together several years ago so I love every moment when we do meet up! My friend Anna is now living in Washington D.C. but flew home for a weekend with her parents and we were able to have a slumber party which was lots of fun! She's been an invaluable resource since she has already been a volunteer and knows many of the ins and outs.

Last week was my cousins' 30th annual Barn Dance in northern Wisconsin. I have always loved visiting Jim and Kim and the barn dance is a great time to see lots of relatives and family friends. I missed the barn dance last year when I was in New Orleans so many people I hadn't seen for 2 years! I posted pictures to Picasso to try that out so check them out on the link to the right.

Yesterday my family had an open house and going-away party and lots of friends, neighbors, and relatives attended. It was fun to talk with everyone and answer lots of questions about my next big adventure!

There are a few important friends and relatives I haven't been able to see and I hope they all know I'm thinking about them as I prepare to leave and I expect to hear from everyone while I'm in Burkina Faso! Just another innocent request for mail!