Today is THE DAY!

"This is the moment, this is the time, when the momentum and the moment, are in rhyme!" Kudos to whomever can name the musical from which that quote originates. One more, and massive kudos to anyone who catches this reference: "There will always be a valley, always mountains one must scale... Never hold back your step for a moment. Never doubt that your courage will grow. Hold your head even higher and into the fire we go!" These quotes come to mind because they are sung just before each character takes a huge, life-altering step into the unknown - which is where I feel I am right now.

As I prepare to fly out in a couple of hours, I am reminded of a personal anecdote: We have to go two years back to my first day at Pomona. We (the incoming freshmen) had moved in on Sunday, and now we were starting our Monday with placement exams. As I was walking to my first exam, I hear the bell tower from a church just off campus playing one of my favorite hymns: "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing!" That was one of the moments in my life when I felt God speaking directly to me, because that was the message I needed to hear, and one I am clinging to now. Sure I was ready and excited to move across the country to start school, but I was still scared. And sure, I am ready and excited to study abroad in a country where I know no one and don't speak the primary language, but I am also scared. However, I know that wherever I am, God is with me, he is my mighty fortress, and he will always speak my language. That is an awesome thought indeed!

I have just a few matters of business to address: First, at this point you should consider my cell phone off until I return - remember you can still reach me through e-mail, facebook, and Skype. Second, if you wish to check on my flight statuses, the flight number are: LH9411 (Grand Rapids to Chicago), LH431 (Chicago to Frankfurt), and LH1336 (Frankfurt to Budapest).

Thank you for reading this. Hopefully I will update within a few days. And I promise next time, I won't be so preachy.

PS If you care, the first song quoted was "This Is the Moment" from Jekyll and Hyde and the second song was "Into the Fire" from The Scarlet Pimpernel. Oddly enough, and completely unintentionally, the songs share the same composer.