Five days until my departure for Peru

There is a four month blank space in my foresight, and it is mine to fill. This is the last semester before my senior year at USD, and with graduation looming in the background, the next few years for myself and all of my peers will be some of major transition and growth. Until today, the first  of March, I did not realize the true proximity of my next adventure.
On Saturday, March 6, I will be departing from San Diego, jetting to Dallas and hopping to Miami, where I will wait until 11:50 p.m. to take my seat in 27F and set off to arrive in Lima, Peru at 5:45 a.m. Eastern time. Taking care not to fall asleep during my layovers and after reaching my gates, I will be forced to begin implementing the advice that I have received from so many more experienced individuals: be observant and keep my wits about me.
The last radical move that I experienced was the 3,000 mile move from Syracuse, in Upstate New York, to San Diego, California.  I knew from sophomore year in high school that I wanted a big change for college and I’ve known since I first visited Europe that I will need big experiences to fulfill me for the rest of my life. I crave the thrill attached to the influx of new perceptions when I immerse myself in brand new surroundings and my next opportunity in South America is imminent and fast approaching.
I think the biggest change in my environment will be the language. One of the main reasons I chose Peru was to experience a lifestyle in which I could acquire the ability to bridge a major language barrier. I am a Spanish major, so this trip will certainly help me take steps towards my goal of fluency. Although I will certainly make mistakes, I expect that I will be welcomed warmly in my efforts to reach out and communicate.
Physically I was unprepared for this adventure. My preparations included a visit to the doctor, three vaccines and three prescriptions. I received the H1N1 and Yellow Fever vaccinations on the same day.
Later the same week I took four pills every other day; they were refrigerated because it was a live Typhoid vaccine. My prescriptions include a few pills to aid with altitude sickness, others for travelers’ diarrhea, which I have read is a common occurrence when traveling to Central or South America. I also have 50 Malaria pills, enough to do some traveling.
While everybody else will be looking forward to summer break, I will be catching the tail end of summer, and moving into Autumn.  After a three-month-long winter break I am steadily enclosing on a truly brand new cultural experience.
When I first began the application process to study abroad last semester at USD, the prospect seemed a lifetime away. The months have slowly worn down, leaving weeks, now just days left until my departure. The excitement of stepping onto the first plane will be nearly overwhelming.