Stacie's Journal: June 13, 2007 11-ish PDX 

I am sitting in gate D5 waiting for my first flight of many to Cincinnati OH. The last couple days have been a complete whirlwind and I still don’t quite believe that I am going.

John, mom, Steph, and Ryan all stayed to see me off. I know I have so much more to go but I feel like I have already taken a huge step. For the next 10 weeks, 78 days, and 1867 (or some odd amount of) hours I will be Independent Stacie. I will have to rely on myself completely. It’s surreal. Bizarre.

I have no way of grasping what the next three months have in store for me (and in all honesty its probably really good I don’t). But I feel I am ready, well, as ready as I’ll ever be.

June 13, 2007 6:30pm Cincinnati

It is only 5 hours into my trip and I have completed the first leg of many. Right now I am waiting at the Cincinnati airport. I have about 20 minutes to hop off one plane and board another. Between Portland and Cincinnati I was sandwiched between 2 big men. I didn’t talk to either of them really. We had crazy bad turbulence for about an ½ hour.  It was terrifying at first but then I just got sick after awhile. As you can tell this is the less glamorous part of traveling-a lot of waiting, sitting, lines, and hauling luggage.