Just a few hours now....

I have decided to stay up all night, rather than only get a few hours of sleep. We have to leave for the airport at 3:30am, and then we fly out at 5am to Salt Lake City, leaving there shortly after arrival, and then off to Atlanta. There we have a 3 hour lay over, and then on a big plane to fly to Rome. Greg, Thomas, and I as well as several others will be taking sleeping pills when on the plane from Atlanta to Rome.
As I look forward into this new year, and especially these next three weeks on the road, I am very excited. I will make many new friends, and deepen exhisting friendships. Not to mention see some of the great sites of Europe, and ski the longest ski run in the world (7500 vertical feet close to Zermatt, Switzerland).
I don't have many expectations for this trip, I will just keep the best attitude that I can, which may be difficult when tired and when I have been on the road for a few weeks. However I know that God will help me to be the best that I can, and will help make this a very meaningful and memorable travel experience.
My bags are packed, the ticket in hand, passport, credit card, international student id and other really important things in my passport bag under my shirt over my chest. Even if I were to try and sleep right now, I don't think I would be able to. It is that feeling of intense anticipation and excitement, so I would simply lay there in bed and think over and over, I will be in Rome in less than 30 hours, I cannot believe it is finally here.
My prayer for the next three weeks shall be this-Lord help those friends of mine on other study tours to have a wonderful experience, and help those of us on this one to get along, to be peaceful and caring towards on another. Help me to be an intrument of peace on joy among the students of the trip, and help me to invest in these people, and in these relationships to make it something truly valuable. Also help me to make the most of the things that I am learning and seeing each day.
That shall be it, or a close version to that. So, for the next three weeks there shall be nothing new posted here, but I shall try and summarize my experiences when I come back. Until then, I hope the new year brings new opportunities, and peace into your lives.