I keep forgetting to post this in an actual post, so it will be its own little story...

So I've been at least thinking about, if not planning, this trip for about a year now. As I realized it was something I not just wanted, but needed to do, it's sort of become the consummation of all the ups and downs of the last 4 years for me. It's hard to explain why this is, by you have to understand that I'm not good at being proud. I graduated and accepted congratulations without ever really feeling like I had done something worth congratulating. But for some reason, this trip has made me to feel proud of everything I've done and been through, and I don't really know why. So anyway, I've already got this emotional bond about this trip, and the flight over was hell, and when I got in I was tired and sick, but I had still made it. When I got to the hotel I got some bland snacks and a Sobe from the little market thing and got to my room, collapsed on the bed, opened the Sobe and glanced at the message Sobe puts inside the caps (like Dove chocolates puts on the wrapper). It just said,

"Got there?"

My breath literally caught in my throat and I answered out-loud, "yes."

Another aside: the dogs are going crazy outside. I think they know it's getting close to race time.