Student Bloggers
Nerves, Excitement, and a Little More Nerves
Date
December 10, 2014
25 days. 25 days until I embark on the adventure of a lifetime. 25 days until I leave everything familiar and comfortable. 25 days until I experience different food, accents, and classes. I wish I could say I’m nothing but excited, but that would be a bold-faced lie. I am excited, extremely excited. But I am also extremely anxious and nervous, because in 25 days I will officially be living in London, England for the next 5 months at Queen Mary University of London. For almost four years I’ve been planning for this adventure. Ever since I visited London as a junior in high school I knew I had to go back to study there. However, four years of preparation could not prepare me for the little extra jolt my heart gets every time I realize that in less than a month I will no longer be on American soil. That nervous jolt is also sometimes dwarfed by my immense excitement to be abroad. Amidst my nerves I’ve also been excessively making a Bucket List and asking for suggestions of things to add to it from everybody and their mother. London is now an every day thought I have, especially as my semester winds down. I honestly just tweeted: “Today was the last time I’ll take classes on Temple’s campus until August,” and as I sit here my roommate laments, “I don’t want you to go.” The entire process leading up to this point, all the research, the paperwork, the questions, the paperwork, the emails, did I mention the paperwork? made me feel like the time to leave would never actually come. It almost never felt real. And yet, here I am, having to contemplate the realities of living in a different country for five months. Thinking about the tiny things like power adapters, what stuffed animal I can fit in my luggage, and how important my hair dryer really is. There’s not a doubt in my mind that it’ll be worth it. There’s also not a doubt in my mind that at some points I made be scared out of my mind. I know this is the best decision I’ve ever made though, and I can’t wait to see how it’ll all pan out.