9 days. Say WHAT?

Nine days.
We have hit the single digits. Now things are really getting out of control.

Que the nerves!

Well, I am suppossed to be done packing as of...right now.

...Let's change the subject.

Haha, anyways, so a lot has happened in the last few days. I have thrown a few more items into my suitcase, and I finally finished cleaning my room. I met up with a few more of the outbounds, and did a little more ahopping for exchange. I hit the jackpot on the bathing suits. AND... Princess hand wipes? Check. I am now satisfied.

I have been facebook stalking the exchange students already in Mazatlan, and it looks like they are really having a good time and appreciating Mexican culture. (Yes, Alandra) I can't WAIT to join them!

But at the same time, I am feeling pretty nervous right about now. What am I getting myself into!? I don't know half of what someone is saying when they speak spanish...actually scratch that...i don't know 99% of what someone is saying when they speak in spanish! I am leaving everything I have here: my friends, my family, my horse, my dog, my bunny, my bed, my clothes...my LIFE. I am going to live with complete strangers, eat strange food, expose myself to strange things and attempt to speak in a strange language!
...On second thought, sounds like fun to me!
(But try to explain that to someone who isn't an exchange student!)

I WILL miss a lot, even though I am ready for anything about now!
That is, as soon as I see about 2 dozen more of my friends and get enough weight on my suitcase to zip it up!

Speaking of friends, tomorrow is my going away party. Well, it's official. Can't back out now! (Sorry mom, and no, I don't need you to tell me AGAIN that it's not too late) Anyways, we are headed to the bowling alley. Should be a good time!

Also speaking of friends, yesterday was a big day for me in the rotary world. I went to my last rotary meeting in High River as an outbound. Well that was bittersweet! It was a delicious dinner served by Memory Lane, and the night proceeded as usual. I brought my blazer and was hopefully dressed to impress with all the new pins I decked out that I had been given. (Thanks to everyone, by the way, who did that!) Anyways, at the end of the meeting, I bid my farewell and asked if I could take a picture with the rotary club. Ted, a member of the club, who just happens to be a professional photographer, (I guess he took pictures of me when I was a baby-small world), jumped up, grabbed my fancy canon rebel and insists on taking the picture. He started setting up chairs and getting people to adjust and sit in the perfect location for the photo. (I was just sort of expecting everyone to huddle in a corner and say cheese while I got a quick photo!) Well luckily, the picture turned out great! (As I knew it would with Ted!)

Anyways, after the meeting me, my outbound counsellor and his wife headed to the Calgary airport to meet the inbound to High River from Belgium. It was wierd walking into the airport with my blazer on. I got butterflies in my stomach and almost convinced myself I was getting on a plane! (Which soon...I will be!) Anyways, it was good to get to know my counsellor better and meet Nathan, the inbound. We took a few photos and I gave him some pins. He will be going to my school next year, so it was pretty interesting to see who will be, sort of, replacing me.
And the rotex and inbounds are meeting this weekend, so I asked him to say hi to my host sister for me.

Aaahhhh...don't you love the rotary world!? It's a small one!

So, that's about it! I am hoping to meet my host sister this weekend when she comes home from her camp. I finally set up a checkings account (after a certain bank teller I told that my savings account didn't work outside of the country, thought it was the card and decided to cut it up!!) Ugh! But anyways, now, I just really need to pack!

So, Talk sooon! Hope I am not boring you with pre-exchange and preparation stories! Hopefully this blog will be better in approximately..uhh...NINE DAYS!

Crazy!