Barely made it on the plane today. I got to the airport less than an hour and half before my flight departs. For international flights it is recommended to be at the airport at least 2.5 hours and if I was on a domestic flight I would have been right on time. I was waiting in line to check in and got moved to another line. There is a 45-minute cutoff before the plane departs and all luggage must be checked in. I had 10 minutes left and was at the back of the line. I finally found someone and pleaded with them and this lady was kind of enough to check me in and escort me to security so I can walk right through. I had been standing in the incorrect line the whole time. As I arrived to my gate my flight was already boarding.

All week friends have been asking me if I was ready to go or was nervous. There was so much going on that I didn’t once stop and think about this journey I was about to embark on. The anxiety and fear of leaving didn’t hit me till Rainbow and Cola were driving me to the airport. Sitting in the car my chest started tightening and my throat began to ache. It was all hitting me at once and there was no turning back. The longest I have been away from home is about 3 weeks tops. I’m not scheduled to return till October 31. That is 70 days or 2 whole months and then some.

The ordeal at the airport sugarcoated my anxiety for a bit and once I settled in my seat, it all came back up again. I was texting Rainbow and asking her if this was the right thing for me to do and at the same time talking to Palindrome and she was trying to calm me down on the other end of the line. As I was staring at the window, reality hit me that I depend so much on my friends and a person like me doesn't deserve to have friends as great as mine. They mean the world to me and I’m a very fortunate person. India would not be possible without the help of all these individuals who are all rallying together to take care of my personal matters. I'm sad to be leaving for such a long time, as I will miss each and everyone of them.