Student Bloggers

As I sit in my room at home writing this post, there are so many thoughts racing through my brain, and so many things I could discuss. I am a “worry wart” by nature, however my guess is that I am not alone on this one; studying abroad is a big change and an even greater adventure (so I’ve heard), and preparing for it can often be stressful. So in honor of reaching the three-week mark until my departure, I have decided to share with you the three major worries that have recently kept me up at night.

Packing:

First off let me just say, this is one of those instances where I am jealous of the male species. Being a girl, I am having a mini panic attack at the thought of fitting my closet into a suitcase; not to mention I need room for my shoes, jewelry, makeup, etc. And let’s not forget that it can only weigh 50lbs! Of course, I will as well have the additional space of my carry on, but that still doesn’t leave me feeling too confident.

But worrying won’t help me when it comes to the actual act of packing, which I honestly wish I could tackle right now to get it over with, but it is still a bit early to pack up my life. So to try and ease some of my stress, I have begun putting aside certain items I will need (but are useless to me right now, like boots and sweaters); in other words, I have accumulated a pile of miscellaneous things in the corner of my bedroom. But it has helped me narrow down the things I need to bring, and maybe don’t need to bring. And there are those times where I have to tell myself, “No Brianna, you definitely don’t need to bring three of the same colored sweaters.” But I have realized less is more when it comes to packing for abroad.

Traveling:

My second worry is something that has constantly been on my mind, and it is the fact that my only travel companions are Me, Myself, and I. This will not be my first time on a plane, but it will be my first flight in almost 6 years, and my first time flying alone. I would like to describe myself as a pretty independent person, but I cannot deny that traveling on my own does scare me a bit.

To try and alleviate my worries, my parents will be dropping me off 1-2 hours earlier than the scheduled departure time of my flight. I know that all I have to do is make sure I follow my ticket and find the right gate, and then it’s a waiting game. Simple. However, in the instance that something does go wrong, I want to make sure I have enough time to figure things out. I think it’s safe to say one of my biggest fears at the moment is missing my flight; I have had numerous nightmares about it happening (no joke, unfortunately). But I think as long as I am well prepared and there early, what can go wrong? Knock on wood.

Seizing Opportunities:

My last worry has to do with my entire time spent abroad. I realize what a great opportunity I have been handed, and I do not want to waste a moment of it. My fear is that I will look back on my trip and wish I did something different, or traveled more. Everyone keeps telling me, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” and I am not taking that statement lightly.

I seriously do not want to waste a day; I hope that I can appreciate every moment I spend overseas. Whether it is grocery shopping in London or traveling to a completely different country, I do not want to take anything for granted because just being abroad is such an amazing thing! I have a list in my head of all the places I want to see, and I don’t know if I will make it to all of them. But that doesn’t mean I wont try; even though this is primarily an academic experience, my motive for going abroad was to travel Europe. So I want to travel as much as I can while I am there, and leave in December with no regrets.