Just another studying-abroad blog.

It is routinely said that every college student should consider traveling abroad at some point in their four years of undergrad. And far be it from me to disregard advice!

So here I am, 10 days away from embarking on an entirely new adventure of my own. And, sticking to the pattern of college-kids-studying-abroad, I will be documenting my time through the use of a blog. Throughout the past few years I've looked at countless blogs of students in different corners of the world, and knowing that it's my turn now is both exhilarating and somewhat unbelievable.

True, I'm not spending an entire semester in a foreign country (for I was unwilling to sacrifice one of my precious semesters at my beloved school, or forgo the student government position I hold), nor am I brand-new to traveling. I've been to Europe for a total of 11 weeks before in my life, visiting 8 different countries. I've flown by myself before, I've ordered breakfast in a different language, and I've taken enough pictures to fill up multiple albums. I won't be completely alone on this adventure either, as others from my university will be in the same city, one even in the same house. Yet these factors in no way discredit the 10 weeks of living in a brand-new foreign city, with a language far different from my native tongue, I am about to experience.

So I haven't even let yet, how can I already be on a fourth paragraph? Let me tell you- this summer has been long anticipated. I've spent years dreaming of living in a foreign city, I've spent months carefully building into my (slight) language ability, I've spent weeks going through my clothes trying to decide what to pack, and I've spent days going over every detail of what is about to come. I've never experienced such a level of nervous excitement. My whole self is currently an oxymoronic mix of being so excited I can hardly contain myself, and being so nervous I think of every horrible thing that could go wrong.
But it comfortingly boils down to one simple truth which really is all I need to remember:
I'm about to begin the summer of a lifetime.