T-24 Hours

Emily Schneider Bangor University, Wales

Date

September 10, 2018
Image

In exactly 21 hours and 14 minutes from the time I am writing this post, I will be on a plane that is taking off to Heathrow Airport. I will be spending my fall semester studying abroad in Wales and I couldn't be more excited. Both my mom and I have been incessantly bragging to everyone we talk to about this experience for the past month.
I've been lucky enough to finally spend a few days at home after working at a full-time internship this summer in University City as well as working as an Orientation Leader at Arcadia University! It's been great being home with my family and my dog, but I am itching to go somewhere else. I was born and raised on the Jersey Shore, so I don't really know a life where I'm not super close to a beach (even though I'm no longer a huge beach person), excluding when I'm away at college. Fortunately enough, I won't be getting too homesick thanks to the fact that the university I will be spending this semester at, Bangor University, is right along the coast of Wales! Granted, it probably won't be the best beach weather, but it's a beach!
I'm so lucky to have such an amazing opportunity to be able to travel to the U.K. and finally immerse myself in a culture other than the one I've been living in my entire life. The northeast is not that exciting, trust me. I'm super excited to check out so many cool places in both England and Wales that I've only ever read about or seen on TV and even try some of their food. Haggis will definitely not be on that list though.
It is now 21 hours and five minutes until my departure from my beloved home in New Jersey and to be totally honest, the fact that I am spending this semester abroad in a country as beautiful as Wales hasn't fully set in yet, and personally I don't think it will set in until maybe like a month from now. I can't wait to meet new people and try new things and really push myself out of a comfort zone. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I am so excited.
It is now 21 hours and three minutes, and I still have to pack, but I am so ready for this adventure. (Can you tell I'm a little excited?) Okay, well that's all folks! I need to get some sleep now so I have the energy to actually pack in the morning so I can head off to the airport! I'll be back soon to tell you all about my orientation experience with the London Center and Bangor University. Bye!