Finally, my trip is off to a great start. I'm sitting in the Atlanta airport, enjoying my last meal consisting of McDonald's chicken nuggets and fries (nothing makes me feel more American than shoving my face with some Mickey D's...thanks Hadley's). Fortunately, the minute I sat down to eat, a very talented silver-haired man sat down at the piano and broke the silence that was beginning to make me think way too much. I've never seen people so happy and carefree in an airport before. He is great...I really want to leave him an excellent tip for making my wait in the airport terminal quite pleasant, but I always forget that I'm really just a poor graduate student and rationing is the skill I must begin mastering sooner rather than later.

Now that I'm finally smiling and truly enjoying myself, I can laugh at my series of morning events that have led me to this moment. After a long night of completely sleepless, pseudo-rest, I arose around 7 am, tried to savor my last shower, scrubbing myself ever so consciously simply so I would remember what hot water and soap suds felt like on my body. Then, I proceeded to cry for about the next hour...happy tears...sad tears...tears with mysterious origins that left me with only the most mysterious emotions that I desperately wanted to shake. Because my family is currently on the beach in Puerta Vallarta (thoroughly enjoying themselves I'm quite sure), John took me to the airport this morning. I thought the airline attendant made a mistake on my ticket (which she said she didn't and she actually did--huge fiasco in Dakar, Senegal that I'll have to write about later), hence my first minor eruption.

After we worked all of that mess out...I said one last goodbye to JC (so I thought) and made my way to the front of the security line, where I was about to load my bags onto the conveyer belt. Low and behold...leave it to me...I then (unsurprisingly) caused the biggest scene the Memphis airport had seen in a while. I reached for my ticket and passport...and BAMMMMMM!!! My chest tightened up, and I felt as though someone had taken a knife, started at my right collar bone and went straight down all the way to my gall bladder. I turned completely white and proceeded to pass out from the pain. Fortunately, my newfound friend, Earl, caught me from behind and eased me to the floor. I came to, only to realize that I could not really breathe, and I was surrounded by police officers and security guards who were telling me that the nurse and parademics were on the way. People suddenly began to grab my cell phone from me and scroll through my dialed calls to find a family member. Fortunately, I was conscious enough to just yell 2!!! John, who had just gotten to his car (probably relieved that the departure drama with me was finally over), is number 2 in my speed dial. Little did he know that the drama had only just begun!!! The police officers called him for me, and I told him to come back inside.

Wow, haha. If any of you though I was freaking out before...you should have seen me and felt my pulse during this little episode. Sitting on the airport floor with my head in my hands, I was trying to escape the dramatic reality of my present state. Why, oh why, does drama always follow the Merry Mess wherever we go? Mom and Dad, remember all of those family vacations that were filled with mishaps and drama? Well, you'll be glad to know that they were not all your fault. I think someone cast a spell on our family a long time ago, and there's nothing we can do about it now, haha.

Although the piercing pain had disappeared, I was still short of breath due to the tightness in my chest. Thankfully, John made his way back into the airport and was there to hold my hand. As if my situation was not bad enough, this all just had to take place at the exact spot that every single person flying out of the Memphis airport had to pass to get through security...alas crowds of loud graduates soon departing for senior trips, inquisitive little kids, and lovely families all passed me, staring with curiosity. I would normally love the attention (haha, sadly enough), but this was just strange.

The nurse finally arrived and was quite calm until I tol her that I've had a VSD in my heart since I was born. Then, she kind of started freaking me out just a little. My pulse seemed to be okay, but my blood pressure was a different story. She took it a couple of times until we all just accepted the fact that my heart was pumping unusually fast. By this time, I was a little embarrassed, extremely weak, sweating, and paranoid that I was going to miss my plane. Everyone with Delta Airlines was extremely nice to me, and they even let John get a special pass to come all the way to the plane gate with me because I could not carry my bags.

We finally made it to my gate, not really knowing what the heck just happened. Severe anxiety attack...heart problem...miserable side effect from my malaria medication...all three (haha)??? Fortunately, I'll be surrounded by doctors all summer long, while I work with the Clinton Foundation and Partners in Health. If something as weird as this happens again, thank the Lord that I'm in good hands.

This is most definitely one of the weirdest things that has ever happened to me. Although I was freaking out at the time, thinking about this morning's events now is quite comical. I could not have started this adventure any other way. Mom, Dad, Bryan, Justin, and Abbey...it was rather sad to have this episode all alone. Normally, you are all right there causing scenes and beings drama kings and queens with me.

I hope this story gave you all a good laugh or two, as it did me. Hopefully, all of the hiccups of my travels are now over!!! That episode was enough drama to last me a summer...hahahaha.