Student Bloggers

You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way!” – Dr. Seuss

As the number of days until I leave for London, England grows ever smaller, this quote by Dr. Seuss danced through my nerve-riddled thoughts while I pack my life away into a suitcase and carry-on bag. Through all my nervousness and apprehension about the months ahead, I am reminded that this is my time to go on adventures I’d only ever dreamed of in a new country that I’d only read about in books or seen on television. I certainly don’t want to waste a second of this experience!

My last few days at home have been a chaotic whirlwind of spending time with family, holiday cheer and talking to my friends about our travel plans, our fears and worries and our excitement and exhilaration about our adventures to come. My friends and I are both excited and nervous because we will be on six different continents this spring – every one except Antarctica! We have all lived together since freshman year so this distance is especially intimidating because we’ve all grown so close. But I know we will keep in touch in the coming months, eager to share our experiences and adventures.

I don’t think it has quite hit me yet that I won’t see my family for an entire six months, nor do I think it will fully hit me until I leave them behind at the security line in the airport in just over 72 hours. The time spent away from them will be incredibly difficult, but I know they are excited for me to go on this adventure of a lifetime and had it not been for their incredible love and support, this adventure would not have been possible and I am forever grateful.

I’ve been trying to imagine everything that has happened to me in the past six months to get an idea of how long six months actually is, and a whirlwind of adventures came to mind. I started my two summer jobs that helped finance this adventure, completed my amazing placement in an autism-spectrum classroom, spent countless hours running psychology research studies with my incredible professor at Stonehill College, presented research at a professional conference, and spent priceless time with friends and family. I realized that these past six months have been full of so many incredible adventures and amazing people and I can’t wait to see what the next six months in a new country with new people and places has in store for me.

So, as Dr. Seuss reminds all of us about to embark on our study abroad journeys, we must get on our way for today is, in fact, our day to go on the adventure of a lifetime and embrace and cherish every second of it.

London, here I come!