Three months of riding high on the anticipation of my trip to Mexico on the Fulbright scholarship has devolved into an exercise in patience. I had expected to find out where in Mexico I was going to be assigned no later than mid-June. It was hard enough to wait until then. But mid-June came and went and still no word. I finally got an email saying that the assignments were taking a little longer than expected, but that we would know soon. Then another email arrived saying the process was still under way and that we would know for sure no later than mid-July. Now, I'm freaking out. Or, rather, trying very hard not to. I always knew this undertaking would be a bit of a leap of faith, but that faith, and patience, is definitely being put to the test.
At least we are able to settle the details of getting our house rented and prepared for our long absence while we drum our fingers and wonder where we'll be living in Mexico for nine months. Relatives are planning to visit, friends are planning vacations to come see us there, but we have no idea where "there" is.
This is a challenge to my ability to remain calm, that's for sure. I'm a pretty organized person, and I like to settle plans as far in advance as possible. Is this experience a test for me? I would say most definitely it is. There will probably be more tests of various kinds once the journey finally gets under way. In the meantime, I pray for patience while I really do trust that it will all turn out exactly right in the end.
