It's my first blog post and it's in the midst of a LOT of chaos! Packing is certainly not my forte, and packing for a five month excursion across the pond has been very difficult for me! However, I'm attempting to plow through it so that I have a little time to enjoy my last night with my mama and in Pacific Palisades.
Ever since I decided to go abroad, I've had mixed feelings about it. At George Washington, it's a kind of rite of passage as a junior to go abroad for a part of, if not all of, your third year. Going abroad always seemed like a definite choice for me, but I wasn't sure where I would go or what I would study.
Eventually, I decided on Spain, so that I could practice the Spanish I'm "fluent" in on a regular basis. I could not decide, for the life of me, where to go in Spain, though. Madrid or Barcelona. Barcelona or Madrid. I talked to a million different people about their experiences abroad, and it seemed as though Barcelona won out every time. The climate, the culture, the lifestyle, and the people were all extolled by the people I spoke to as being some of the best that they had experienced.
I excitedly submitted my application for Barcelona and in a few weeks, I was in. The program that I'm doing is called IES Abroad, a Chicago-based study abroad company that sends students everywhere from Western Europe to sub-Saharan Africa.
At first, it all seemed so distant and unrealistic. Yes, I was aware that in January I would be packing up and moving to Spain, but I couldn't really focus on that what with my incredibly busy life at school and everything else going on. The months continued in a whirlwind until--holy cow--it was time to leave school and go home for winter break. It seems lately that days go by extremely quickly, almost at light-speed, and before I knew it, today rolled around.
Saying goodbye to Steffen was one of the hardest things I've had to do in a while. Knowing that I won't see him for five months, I won't get to hold his hand or kiss him good morning, or even hear his voice on a regular basis, is really difficult. I know that I will miss my mama and home just as much, but I feel as though I owe it to myself to make this journey. I think I owe it to my future, fifty-year-old self, who will look back on her life and want to kick herself if she didn't go on this trip. Yes, I am scared, nervous, anxious, and completely unaware of what to expect, but I am also incredibly excited and happy to see what will come of this. If, in the end, it's something I regret, at least I gave it an honest try. However, I highly doubt this will be the case :)
On that saccharine note, I am off to weigh my suitcase one last time (it's baaaarely under the 50 pound limit...oops!) and get to bed. I have roughly 24 hours of travel time tomorrow! As soon as I get situated, there will be another post...with pictures! Until then...
Lots of love,
Kelsey
Ever since I decided to go abroad, I've had mixed feelings about it. At George Washington, it's a kind of rite of passage as a junior to go abroad for a part of, if not all of, your third year. Going abroad always seemed like a definite choice for me, but I wasn't sure where I would go or what I would study.
Eventually, I decided on Spain, so that I could practice the Spanish I'm "fluent" in on a regular basis. I could not decide, for the life of me, where to go in Spain, though. Madrid or Barcelona. Barcelona or Madrid. I talked to a million different people about their experiences abroad, and it seemed as though Barcelona won out every time. The climate, the culture, the lifestyle, and the people were all extolled by the people I spoke to as being some of the best that they had experienced.
I excitedly submitted my application for Barcelona and in a few weeks, I was in. The program that I'm doing is called IES Abroad, a Chicago-based study abroad company that sends students everywhere from Western Europe to sub-Saharan Africa.
At first, it all seemed so distant and unrealistic. Yes, I was aware that in January I would be packing up and moving to Spain, but I couldn't really focus on that what with my incredibly busy life at school and everything else going on. The months continued in a whirlwind until--holy cow--it was time to leave school and go home for winter break. It seems lately that days go by extremely quickly, almost at light-speed, and before I knew it, today rolled around.
Saying goodbye to Steffen was one of the hardest things I've had to do in a while. Knowing that I won't see him for five months, I won't get to hold his hand or kiss him good morning, or even hear his voice on a regular basis, is really difficult. I know that I will miss my mama and home just as much, but I feel as though I owe it to myself to make this journey. I think I owe it to my future, fifty-year-old self, who will look back on her life and want to kick herself if she didn't go on this trip. Yes, I am scared, nervous, anxious, and completely unaware of what to expect, but I am also incredibly excited and happy to see what will come of this. If, in the end, it's something I regret, at least I gave it an honest try. However, I highly doubt this will be the case :)
On that saccharine note, I am off to weigh my suitcase one last time (it's baaaarely under the 50 pound limit...oops!) and get to bed. I have roughly 24 hours of travel time tomorrow! As soon as I get situated, there will be another post...with pictures! Until then...
Lots of love,
Kelsey
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