I haven't written here since Thanksgiving, which is pretty pathetic. I've wanted to, but between school and work and finals and the holidays and getting ready to live on another continent, I unfortunately have been more than a little busy. This might get long, but bear with me here. First order of business, I have some exciting news to share...! I have been chosen to be a blogger for the UND page this semester! What that means is it will be far easier to locate this blog should you ever feel the need. And, more importantly, I am by contract required to write at least once every 2 weeks. So no more slacking beginning the middle of January :) That being said, I recently checked out some of the past student bloggers' pages and immediately felt the need to step my game up so I hope you noticed and liked my blog's makeover! Any and all tips/feedback are welcomed and appreciated, as always.
My last day of working until I get back was today, so now all I have on the brain is: Sweden. Full speed ahead with packing, making plans, shopping, making lists, saying goodbyes, and getting organized. About the saying goodbyes part- it's been hard to accept the fact that I will miss things that I otherwise would have been a part of. It's weird to think of me going back to work and not recognizing people or learning that a former coworker moved. It's incomprehensible that I will go almost 6 months without driving or being employed. I'm not saying I regret my decision to study abroad whatsoever, but it's slowly sinking in just how long of a time it is that I will be gone.
On a lighter note, I couldn't be more ecstatic about meeting people from all over the world. It honestly blows my mind. All the different accents, languages, senses of humor, music, habits, foods, personalities, slang phrases, and points of view that I am about to be exposed to is such an exciting prospect. I feel like I have so much to learn about the world outside my North Dakota bubble and I am more than ready to soak it all in. It's so awesome to have all these new Facebook friends from other countries. I can't wait until we all can meet and hang out and talk in person.
It's funny to me how people have reacted when they learn what I'm doing. The question "Why?" has especially been a tricky one to answer. I guess I can't really pinpoint the exact reason I want to study abroad. It's really just this strong pull in my gut to explore the world. To me, it feels like a need and not a want. It's something I am thinking about all day every day and I'm so done with dreaming and wondering what it would be like when I am fully capable of making it happen. So that's why I'm doing it. I need to feed my curiosity and I know this itch to travel is not something that is about to go away. I'm young, healthy, full of wonder, and am sick of living in familiarity. I'm ready to go.
Below is a couple of my favorite photos from when I went to France 3 years ago. It was truly a life changing experience and exponentially strengthened my desire to see the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment