Email I want to share...

Hiya!

Last night I walked right into a trap! I was planning on visiting the Babson-related folk for dinner--Dave, Nicole, Andre, Amanda. I was trying so hard to figure out why Amanda was being difficult; "Robin, you have to come meet me in Waltham first, then we'll go back to Babson."
"But Amanda, Babson is on my way! I should pick up Andre and Nicole there and then head that way. Wah, wah, wah!"


Amanda finally meets me at Babson (after an hour of trying to track down Andre somewhere between Woodland Hills and Hollister) and she's all, "Don't worry about Andre, let's go visit our freshman dorm! Oh hey, look! I guess there's something going on in the pub; let's go say hi to Dougie."
"Amanda, no. There's some event in there or something--I thought we were going to North."
Amanda walks into pub aaaaaaaand...


Barack Obama is standing there!!!!
He is a card-board cut-out, but just the same...
Dave, Nicole, Tiffany, Pat and his girlfriend Liz are there with blue, white, and red balloons! Deets and Hanno and Andre and some straggling summer resident students show up, too. We have cake. We dance. I almost cry.
It was pretty stellar.


Still, I couldn't sleep last night, thinking about all the things I have to do before I leave and what might happen when I get there. Insurance, cell phone, bank account; learn French, win over family, don't make eye contact in the train stations. I try to keep telling myself that it's just Europe; I'll be with a nice safe family; if all else fails, I'll just do a lot of reading and writing; I won't get turned away from the country. Clearly, I am leaving such wonderful loves! Somehow, that's even more of a reason to go.


Anxiety is temporary. Exploration is worthy. Le voyage est bon!
My life is blessed--Ma vie est beni.
I think this will become my new blog post...

Be well.
Do good.
Have love.

Robin