On my way.

Arriving at the airport that Tuesday morning (July 27th- note that date this particular month and the next two) was surreal. My friends Tabitha and Kayla showed up to say goodbye. My dad had his hands in his pockets and my mom was fidgeting and making jokes about the Beatles. My mom bought me a nice 'lug' bag that ended up providing a well appreciated place to carry my things in throughout my trip (A passport and copious amounts of Latvian currency don't fit well in your bra...More about Latvian currency later.) and we sat in the airport restaurant seating area near Second Cup as I drank a peppermint tea. There was a copy of the Winnipeg Free Press on the table, and I remember leaning over it with Tab, looking at an article about the Cambodian genocide, eating lollipops she had found in her purse.
Countdown: One hour to boarding time.
We went down to my gate and said our goodbyes. Kayla told me for the hundredth time to be safe and take care of myself, Tabitha told me to have fun, and my mom started up the pre-travel waterworks that we are accustomed to whenever either myself or my sister leaves on a trip. I reassured her that I was only leaving for a month and that I'd be back after that, maybe.
I went through American Customs and one of the full body scanners for the first time. We were then ushered to our gate where I waited for nearly an hour before boarding time. I addressed over 25 postcards to friends, family and co-workers that I never ended up sending and continually opening and closing my copy of The Hobbit, never really paying attention to what I was reading. However, I remember thinking about JRR Tolkien's quote, "Not all those who wander are lost."
I finally boarded my plane, sat in my seat and got ready for the flight.
Wondering,
"Is this actually happening?"