Aunt Sharon, this one's for you!

I received a phone call about an hour ago from my cousin Tara. You may remember her from my previous blog: the biter and life saver. She called to tell me two things. First she tells me my documents successfully arrived today, and that I look like a little Dutch boy in my passport photo. I owe my high self esteem to her. Second, my aunt Sharon, her mom, is also going to San Francisco for the visa extravaganza and I completely forgot to give her a shout out. Naturally I feel like a real asshole, because my aunt Sharon is awesome. Not only is she one of the nicest and most intelligent people you could ever hope to meet, but she’s also fascinating. A drama teacher who left Napa this last year to teach in Lebanon, Sharon is full of funny anecdotes, inspiring stories, and words of much needed encouragement. She talked me through my anxieties about leaving for the other side of the world without knowing a soul and not speaking the language. She’s had the time of her life, and damn it, so will I. Aunt Sharon, you are an inspiration and I owe some of my newfound excitement and confidence to you. So, Sharon Rogers, drama teacher and lasagna maker extraordinaire, this one’s for you! Uncle T, don’t feel left out. If I ever write a blog about baseball or the world’s greatest Republicans, you’ll be the first one I call.