8 Days Remain

Since my last two entries were both published on the 19th of their respective months, I feel like today calls for an entry as well. After all, 19 is my favorite number.
Well, most of my friends are already in their countries, having a blast, while I'm still here, anxiously awaiting my turn to depart.
I'm not the only one, though. All the outbounds around the world spending their year in France are scheduled to arrive in Paris on Tuesday the 28th. What a party! Upon our arrival, Betty and I will meet up with the 39 other inbounds in our district, 1510, and we will all take a bus trip down to the beach where we have a four-day orientation camp. I just can't wait to meet all these kids and make even more new friends. Plus, what can beat a French coastal town?

Le Pouliguen, where I will spend my first days in France before I finally get to Parthenay

On a present note, I just came from seeing the King Tut Exhibit in Seattle. It amazed me how artifacts that were thousands of years old were still intact, like no time at all had passed to tarnish their splendor. That should really put the 8 days I have into perspective, shouldn't it? Seeing things from the majestic, ancient civilization of Ancient Egypt? NOPE! 8 DAYS STILL FEELS LIKE AN ETERNITY.
Now, these last days are filled with finalizing my packing and seeing friends, having them sign my exchange notebook.

The notebook a friend of mine cleverly dubbed the "Anti-Diary"

The interesting thing about this notebook is that the people who've written me a message in it have seen more of it than I have; I've been asking people to sign it since May, yet I haven't read a single message. I am going to read it on the plane across the Atlantic, well into the flight. I'm not exactly sure how I'll feel reading it. Maybe I'll embarrass myself by crying uncontrollably, or maybe I will feel like all my friends are on the flight with me, cheering me on. Only time will tell.
This is most likely the last entry I'll have before I'm in France. I'm fairly certain that I'll have my next update before the 19th of September, but I'll make it a goal to publish an entry on the 19th of every month at least, as long as I have the means to do so.
But until then, I will once again end with a picture--this time, it's a photo of the school year planner I got this weekend.