T-Minus One Month and Counting!

Welcome to my inaugural blog post! I decided that today would be the lucky day because (as you may have noticed from the title) I LEAVE FOR ENGLAND TERM EXACTLY ONE MONTH FROM TODAY! My obvious excitement is also mixed with a whole lot of anxiety, but I'll come back to that later...

First, I should tell you why I am writing this blog. Most of the study abroad literature that I have read recommends journalling. While I may not be dedicated enough to keep a journal everyday, I think I can keep up with a weekly blog :) I also want to let my loved ones know that I am doing ok, even if I don't always have the time or money to call them...

Now that you know why I am starting this blog, you probably also want to know why I am doing England Term. England Term is a program run through Bethel that I like to think of as a travel study abroad program. Rather than simply staying at a foreign university for a semester, we are traveling all over the UK, Ireland, and France. I have always wanted to leave the country for a while, yet where I could be with people I know, and where the people I don't know can speak English! (Second languages DO NOT come easily to me). I also like living out of a suitcase (I will probably regret saying that in about three months), so England Term seemed like a good fit.

Back to the anxiety... While the prospect of going halfway across the world for three and a half months is exhilarating, it is also slightly terrifying. I have never been out of the country, and have never been away from home for quite that long, with such limited communication. I am also a very organized person (slightly obsessive, actually), so not knowing exactly what I am doing, when, or where is also a stressor. Add to that an ever-growing to-do list, daunting class reading load, and two summer jobs, and I'm practically more stressed than I was during Finals Week!

(Sigh) Ok, now that I've got that out of my system... I am so thrilled to have this opportunity! I cannot wait to actually see where the amazing literature I have read was set. We will be walking in the footsteps of some literary greats! I feel so privileged to be a part of this journey, and can't wait to see where it will take me. This is starting to get a little long, so I'm going to cut it off here. I plan on making about two more posts before I leave: one with my personal goals for studying abroad and my goals for this blog, and another with final pre-departure thoughts and prayer requests! If you got put on my email list for this blog, it is because I love you and thought you might like to know where I am and what I'm doing for this next semester. If you are not on that list, feel free to subscribe! Comment at will-- There is more to come! <3