5 Things I’m Feeling Before Going Abroad
Written by Madison May 15, 2017
Final goodbyes before I head back home.
It's normal to say goodbye to your car right?
New passport ready for new adventures!
It’s the week before I depart for Italy, and I feel like the days are passing in seconds. A couple days ago I was taking my last final and packing up the car for the eight hour drive home. My freshman year was officially over. All last week I spent packing my dorm, and now that I am home, I have spent my time unpacking my bags just to re-pack them all for Italy. As I take some time to break from packing, I think about all the things I am feeling before I leave for this trip.
- Excited
If you have talked to me recently, you probably know that I am studying abroad. It seems to come up in every conversation for the past couple of months because of how excited I am to go. Ever since I got the first e-mail “Countdown to Italy: 42 days,” all I could think about was studying abroad. If I needed a break from studying, I would read blog posts, look up what I needed to pack, and/or look at pictures of the campus and Paderno del Grappa. I never thought that after my freshman year I would get the opportunity to go abroad.
Although I haven’t stopped thinking about this trip, I can’t believe it snuck up this quickly. Just a week ago I was studying for finals and stressing over how I would pull my grades up. I think the main thing that got me through finals was knowing that I would be leaving for Italy soon!
- Sad
As an out of state student I don’t get to travel home as much as others. I am a little sad to say goodbye to my family and friends after only being home for a couple of days. But I know that they’re just as excited as I am for my trip. I can’t wait to share with them all the adventures I went on and all the people I met.
- Nervous
Although I am excited to go abroad, there are still some things that concern me. Since I don’t know any Italian, I’m scared that I won’t be able to interact with the people there. I am also nervous because this will be my first time traveling abroad alone. I will have to be in charge of getting myself to the right place at the right time, which hopefully shouldn’t be a problem but only time will tell.
- Joyful
One of my favorite things to do is to go on adventures. Whether it is to another state, country, or even something close by, it has always been something I enjoy. Since this will be my first time in Europe, everything will be new to me. As an engineering student, it can sometimes be tricky to find a program that offers classes that relate to my major. I am so lucky to have found a program where I can go abroad and get credit for an engineering course.
- Curious
I am ready to meet new people and go on new adventures. Since I am the only one from my university it will force me to meet new people. I am curious to taste new foods and explore new places because everything I see and do there will be for the first time. There is always something new I can learn from anyone I’ll get to meet or anything I’ll get to try.
As I think about all the things I’m feeling, I wonder how I’ll feel when I actually get to Italy.
Can’t wait to see what this adventure has in store for me!
