Anticipation

by Judy

an·tic·i·pa·tion

anˌtisəˈpāSH(ə)n/

noun

the action of anticipating something; expectations or prediction

When I first knew that everything was "a go" and that I was definitely able to meet my FOL sisters in Texas in October, the trip was ten months away. Such a long way off. Now, as I write this, it is exactly 10 days away!  By the time this post goes live on Thursday, there will only be 6 more days to wait! To say that I'm excited is quite an understatement. The anticipation of finally meeting all of the beautiful and talented women I am privileged to call my 'sisters' is simply beyond exciting!

In this day in age of instant everything and immediate gratification - a little (or a lot) of anticipation is a good thing. When we anticipate something we build up positive expectations, to relish how enjoyable the experience might be. Having something to look forward to makes you feel good. 

Really, today it seems that waiting for your vacation to come, a special trip, or the birth of a new baby are some of the few things that we do actually have to wait for. Technology has replaced waiting and anticipating in most areas of our lives. Maybe that's why the anticipation for this special trip is even more exciting to me.

Gretchen Rubin, a writer of habits and happiness, says that 'anticipation is a key stage in happiness; by having something to look forward to, no matter what your circumstances, you bring happiness into your life well before the event actually takes place.'  The anticipation for this trip has been a happy, welcome part of my life, after experiencing such a down time over the past couple of months. I am feeling myself again, and this wonderful, exciting, invigorating anticipation is part of the reason why!

So, you see the happy, smiling, beautiful women in the photos above? I have always loved these photos. Seeing all of my 'sisters' together made me happy.  But now that I know that I too will be spending time with them, well, when Terri sent these photos to me so I could use them in this post, my tummy got butterflies when I opened them!

I have immersed myself in anything I can find about the area we will be visiting.  I have double checked that I have extra camera batteries and plenty of SD cards.  I have figured out which lenses I will be taking, and have made a list of things to pack. Yes, the anticipation is building. 

I've heard many people say that sometimes the anticipation of something is more exciting than the actual event. Hmmm, I am certain that that will not be the case here. To visit a place I've never been, and to practice my photography with other like-minded people, well that's exciting in itself.  But the real joy will be to get to know these ladies I've had the honor of working with for the past two years. Meeting them will be the icing on the cake AND the cherry on the top!

I hope that all of you have something wonderful that you are anticipating too. Let your excitement build. There is so much fun in the planning, preparation and waiting. Let that be as much fun as the actual event!