By McKenzie Days

Three things emerge when I reflect on my pre-trip mental space: anxiety, thrill and zest. As a graduating senior, I knew that the fickle navigation of the post-grad landscape was on the horizon. This further reinforced my gratefulness for this opportunity. I had just graduated, and the next chapter of my life began with traveling to another country and embarking on a rich, complex, and remarkable experience. 

The days blurred together from graduation to my flight to Ghana, but I do remember hugging family members, saying goodbye to friends and buying the essentials. Although, for some reason, during these actions, it had felt like I was moving away; it felt like I was officially ending all my relationships as I knew it. I think all my friends knew internally that it would be a while before we all saw each other again. After all, I was not the only one who was embarking on a lifetime trip. My friends would visit other countries, travel abroad for work opportunities and move away to other states. As much as we were happy for each other, we all knew these would be individual journeys. 

So how does one begin to pack for the individual journey of their new life? How does one say goodbye to an old chapter with ease? I had begun to discover that, although I had been physically packing for this trip, I would never be mentally packed; there is no preparation for such a feat.   

But for now, I packed my stuffed animal, water bottle, sunhat, and neck pillow.