Nervous

“Be present, even when everything inside you says to run.”~Dr. Dan Olson
 

Sunday morning was the first time it happened.

I sat straight up in bed and looked at the clock. I checked the date on my watch. January 27, 2013.
The trip was officially just 12 days away. I was officially nervous.

It felt kind of good to finally be nervous. I am the type that gets nervous going camping for a weekend, so feeling all composed about travelling half way around the world felt very out of character. This was much more the typical Zach that I knew.

And the trip has been getting more and more real ever since we bought the plane ticket. To give you just a few of the highlights:

~I decided I wanted to get a new camera to take with me. I wanted something that was both durable for travelling (and, inevitably, dropping) but that would also deliver high quality pictures. After talking with the people I work with—all of whom have travelled around the world—they suggested a GoPro Hero3. GoPro is internationally known for being used in extreme sports to capture action shots down to the millisecond. While the camera itself is small and flimsy, the housing makes it both waterproof and shatter proof. It doesn’t have a lot of typical camera features (such as a view finder or a flash) but the picture quality is pretty exceptional.  So to check the first thing off my list of “to-do’s,” I bought a GoPro camera...added to my to-do list is now learning how to use it.

~With being gone for just under five months, one of the dilemmas I have been pondering is how to get a haircut. The horror stories of European haircuts have fallen into one of two veins.

In one column we have stories of haircuts that go something like this:

Customer: “I just want a trim, shape up the edges, and take a little off the top”

Barber: “Ah, yes, good choice sir.”

Result: You look like the fifth Beatle.

The other stories go more like this

Customer: “I just want a trim, shape up the edges, and take a little off the top.”
Barber: “Ah, yes, good choice sir. Why don’t we have some tea first?”

Result: Five hours and $100 later, your hair looks marginally different from when you walked in.

I’m sure these stories are largely overstated and only represent the extremes of European hairstyling. Nevertheless, I did not want to take any chances. So as part of my pre-trip planning, I buzzed off my hair. While I fear it makes me look a bit like a runaway inmate, I have to admit, the short hair is really nice.

In a related note, the recent snow storm has put me on the market for a new beanie.

~All of the foreign exchange students coming into Prague are assigned a “buddy.” To quote an email I received from the International Buddy System,

“We will assign you a Czech student-buddy who will do his best to you'd never felt lost in Prague; mainly right after your arrival. He/she will pick you up at the airport and help you with all the bureaucracy. This student does everything voluntarily and wants to help you. So don't worry to ask him/her anything you need.[sic]"

This week I started receiving emails from my buddy. Her name is Ivana. She has been very helpful with all of my few questions and I look forward to working with her this semester.

Interestingly enough, the sermon this past Sunday at church was actually on the topic of fear. The following quote was shared.

“Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful with particular satisfaction . . . everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness, whether pursued or attained.” ~Malcolm Muggeride

I know this is true. I think back on the many camping trips that I feared for years and they are certainly some of my fondest memories with people that have become my closest friends. I am confident that this trip will be just as life changing as each of those weekends.
 

With just 8 days until I set out on my adventure, I truly am excited. The nervousness is still there, but it comes and goes in fleeting waves. I am very thankful for the support of my family and friends and I look forward to sharing this journey with all of you!