As I write this, I pause to quickly grab a pencil and jot down one more thing on my "Bring" list, so I don't forget when I leave for a foreign country at 8am tomorrow morning. I have more anxiety than I typically do -- normally I am happiest and most content moving through space (or preparing to), and love my collaborative-creative projects best of all.

So what, I asked myself, was I worried about this time? I had done quite a bit of social, cultural, and language preparation, spent time with friends and colleagues from this country to help prevent myself from various pitfalls, and although I knew I would have to be on my toes, I also knew I had done what I could, and that lots of listening, grace, good humor and respect, we would muddle through.