31 days and counting

Just over a month and I'll be in Jerusalem...June 28. How is that possible? How is time passing so quickly?
I have the practical stuff nearly done. I don't have a student visa yet, not sure why. And I still need to finish getting the cat taken care of. And next weekend I'll begin the packing process. I have appointments/meals with people I just have to see before I leave. And yet, the time is completely flying by. I feel like I have a million things still to do, but can't enumerate them. The general feeling of being overwhelmed is starting to hit.
I was complaining at work that, well, that I was at work. I made a joke to a girlfriend saying that in six months I'd probably be begging to come to work. She replied telling me that I was going to love every minute of being a student. I tend to believe her. At this point however, it is surreal.
What is it going to be like to studying Jewish texts or Hebrew all day? What will it be like to have a morning minyan, actually with a minyan? For those prayers that I don't know, how quickly will I learn them? Will I be able to lead them competently in a short time frame? But these are just the student nerves which come out. The majority of them are superficial and are essentially place-holders for all the questions without answers.

What will it be like not getting hugs from my 4yr old nephew? Will I be able to find time to schedule to talk to my friends in Colorado; time that isn't the middle of the night for either of us? How will it be not being with my fiance for a few months? Will I make new friends quickly?

I know that I am not unique in asking these questions. I also know that there are lots of other people that I am about to meet in the flesh (as opposed to facebook) who are dealing with similar circumstances. The journey in front of us is exciting and unknown. With unknown comes uncertainty and fear and adrenaline and hyper-activity and a whole host of other heightened emotions. It is glorious and I couldn't be more honored and ready to being this trip. I am sure the next four weeks will just fly by and before anyone realizes it, I'll be calling Jerusalem home. Amazing.