May 25, 2011. It has been exactly one year since we left the country on our three-month journey. I remember exactly how I was feeling that morning when we left at 6am. Incredibly excited, a little nervous, ready for adventure, and prepared to take on the world. Also nauseous – I got sick in the car within 10 minutes of leaving the house, a wonderful start to my relationship with malaria pills (that was before I learned not to take them first thing in the morning).
Then came the first airport, the first plane ride (which actually turned out to be our longest flight on the whole trip), the first airplane food…many firsts and each one as exciting as the next. I remember thinking on that first day, this is going to be an incredible adventure. And it was.
It’s crazy to me that a whole year has already passed from that departure date. On the one hand, it does seem like a lot of time has gone by and many things have happened since then; almost like it was another lifetime. But I can also still remember how hot it was in Nepal, how many bug bites I acquired over the trip, and many of the hundreds of special moments and conversations that I had with my mom. No matter how many years go by, there are certainly things that I will never forget.
The timing of the rough draft coming out this week seems strangely perfect and almost divinely planned. Not only will I be home to see it, but it will be a perfect ending to the first year of the project’s production. I’m excited to re-live those three months and I can’t wait to see the finished product.
Happy 1-year Anniversary, Opening Our Eyes!
