Finally, the day has come! It was this time last year that I was working on those impossible essays for my application. It’s been so long, and somehow I still can’t believe that the time is already here!

I rode to Chicago O’Hare at 4 am this morning with Ben and my parents and cried many more times than I’d like to admit. I’m a mess! A gigantic bundle of every emotion you could imagine. Sad? Absolutely. Ecstatic? 150%. Hyper? Oh my gosh, I hope I’m able to sleep on this flight. (Probably shouldn’t have had two Starbucks lattes before getting to Chicago.)

Today has been extremely taxing – that’s for certain. And honestly, O’Hare is probably my least favorite airport… no I take that back, it definitely is. So, my five best pieces of advice for those who will be traveling abroad anytime soon – especially if going through O’Hare.

1. Do NOT pack Velveeta or mac-n-cheese in your carry-on, no matter how badly you want it. Today, my cheese showed up on the TSA scanner as possible explosive residue. So after quite the search and a chemical test of all of the packages to make sure that my cheese was in fact, cheese, I was allowed to put it back in my bag. ALWAYS check your cheese.
2. If you’re going to bring a big camera, pack it on top. Even if it is ginormous and that doesn’t make sense. Pack it on top because they WILL make you take it out.
3. Try to get your tears wiped before going through security – many TSA agents try to make it painfully obvious that they do not care, no matter how nice you are to them.
4. Do NOT wear your heavy cardigan that you’re trying to save weight by keeping out of your bag – tie it around your waist. Tears, sweat, and a security check where they almost confiscate your cheese, do NOT mix well together.
5. Look up the terminal that your gate is in before you get to Chicago…. Not all international flights depart from the international terminal. Imagine that.

Despite the many tears when I left Ben and my parents (and some minor emotional terror from the cheese incident), I am so unbelievably excited to start this incredible journey. First the flight from O’Hare to Tokyo, then Tokyo to Bangkok, where I will spend the night with two other Laos Fulbrighters – Millie and Lauren! Then on Tuesday, we will fly to Vientiane together to begin our orientation period. For the next few days, I will only be able to be contacted through Facebook messenger, FaceTime, and Snapchat. After that, I will have a Laotian SIM card and will be able to send iMessages and have regular data.

I’m so grateful and feel so blessed to have so many people that made leaving the U.S. so hard. But it’s not good-bye, just “A bientôt”.

ດ້ວຍ​ຮັກ (With love),

Claire