I have never traveled far outside the U.S. before this trip; in fact, the furthest I had been was Jamaica when I was too young to remember many years ago. Almost every trip I had gone on was with my family, so traveling anywhere without them would seem a bit odd and uncomfortable, nevermind traveling overseas to another continent. Thinking about studying abroad in this way made it seem distant and impossible as if it would be ridiculous for me to even think of doing such a thing. In my heart I knew I wanted to study abroad, so instead, I changed my mindset. I thought of it in a much simpler way. All I had to do was pack two bags, have my mom drive me to the airport, hop on a plane and see how it goes. I couldn't predict what would happen, so I just waited with anticipation.
As excited as I was over the summer to be studying abroad, I certainly had some fears and anxieties about traveling halfway across the world. I knew it would be a lot of fun to be abroad and have a unique cultural experience.
