flight
flīt/
noun
noun: flight
1.
the action or process of flying through the air.
literary
swift passage of time.
"the never-ending flight of future days"
2.
a group of creatures or objects flying together, in particular.
verb
verb: flight; 3rd person present: flights; past tense: flighted; past participle: flighted; gerund or present participle: flighting
I have booked my flights. Round trip to Switzerland, with a stop in Paris on the way and back. It's odd...the feeling of trust that this kind family will receive me well, that I will be put to use on the vineyard, and that overall, there won't be any events that may inspire yet ANOTHER sequel of Taken (We've had enough, Liam Neeson!).
It has taken me a long time, much longer than I hoped, to write this blog. Time has flown by! I had a goal of having one out every other week leading up to my trip. But I am horrible at getting anything creative out on time. If I force it, it doesn't happen. Typical artist faults.
After the discovery of my wonderful family in Switzerland, I spent a couple of weeks testing out the waters to see if the invitation to visit, and potentially stay for a while was honest. Not that I think my cousins are dishonest people, but there is always that thought looming overhead, "Are they just saying this to be nice?". So, two or so weeks after getting to know B(I chose not to share their full names to protect their privacy), I booked these flights. And now, months later, I have three weeks until departure to the land of chocolate and happy cows. Utter insanity! ;)
Plans are solidifying, expectations are inevitably being born in my mind, and I'm trying so very hard to enter into this adventure with open hands, and a willing heart. B keeps sending me videos of his herd of cows and steers prancing through the vineyard. M(the cousin I will actually be staying with who is a girl my age) just sent me a photo of the room I will stay in, and the view out the window. A ticket for Oktoberfest in Chur has been reserved, and I'm practicing my yodeling skills that I learned years back after watching The Sound of Music. I can't help but think about how people would venture on trips like this, or even just to another country, without photos, or without a direct contact. And even if they did have a contact, they may not have known what they looked like. I hope that I would be just as bold then, as I am now!
Gratitude doesn't even begin to touch on the feelings I have experienced during these last few months. With bosses that have moved mountains to support and encourage me, family that are already incredibly hospitable, and the most empowering friends sending me off, I am moved to tears trying to understand how I could deserve such a trip. I could write a whole separate blog about the fears and apprehensions I've had this whole time. The things that make me doubt myself and my courage, the reasons why I don't deserve any of it, and how many things could go wrong. Heck, this morning coming back from my Labor Day weekend trip to Montana, I had three things go wrong, and it's only Montana! But those things don't matter so much as the fact that I'm getting over it and going. And it all boils down to the simple fact that I am loved, cared for, and seen by the God that so carefully designed me. Whether its an incredible trip, or one that ends up falling through, this is the truth that I hold on to.