relief!

I had a huge sigh of relief this morning as I finally mailed my work visa application to the consulate in Montreal. Two months after it was ready in France, I received my arrete de nomination in the mail yesterday, which I waiting for in order to complete my visa application. Now I can only pray that it gets back to me on time! But it's now out of my control... the stress level can come down a little.

Now that I don't have that looming over my head, I can start getting excited for this again. Still lots of stuff to figure out before I leave, logistics of luggage, travel plans for when I arrive, and much more. Then of course there's the idea of saying goodbye to my friends and family that I have to wrap my head around. I fear my goodbyes may start sooner than I would like, tonight even. And then continue into the weekend. This is the hard part. I know that I will have a good time in France, and I hope to make many new friends there.... but how do I imagine spending eight months away from everything and everyone that I know? How can life in Canada go on without me? Can't everyone else go away and do the same thing, so that when I come back we'll all be in the same place we are right now? I'm not sure I like this future stuff. I like the present... it's safe.