Celosia

I keep apologizing for these long absent pauses. Although, I am sure you can understand... I'm busy. Today's my last day of work and my mind has been a whirlwind of details and "have to's" as I prepare to leave my Apartment and my life as I know it.. to go to Africa. 

Everyone keeps asking me how I feel.. how I am doing in the middle of all this change. Am I excited? It seems I haven't had a moment to think about what is to become of my life since I made the decision to pick up and go. I am so inundated with all the details, the finishing touches, and the emotional strain of transition, that I just can't wait to be sitting on the plane with it all behind me and finally looking to the future... the quite recent, starting now type of future. 

I am ready, I am nervous, I am sober and thoughtful of the risks I will be taking, I am anticipating good things and sure I will be stretched, challenged and thrown completely out of my element and I couldn't be happier about it. I am sad to leave my neighbors and say goodbye to my coworkers, my roommates my loved ones. Yes, I'll be back in four months but even then, everything will be different. I realize that. 

SO here we go. 

One more week  full of packing, goodbyes, and all the rest. 

I will miss you New York... but I will be back. 

P.S. According to Sarah from Saipua, Celosia (which belongs in the amaranth family and pictured above) is quite edible and grows across Central and West Africa, and is one of the leading leafy green vegetables in Nigeria, where it is known as ‘soko yokoto’, meaning "make husbands fat and happy." I like that!