Hello!
It’s here! It’s
officially the night before I am set to leave. My bags are packed and everything’s
been (mostly) twice checked off the list. Let me say that it is at this moment
you will find yourself in muddled mix of emotions ranging from elation to fear
to sadness in leaving your home. It’s at this point I remind myself that I am
in for the adventure of a lifetime and the opportunities set before me are going
to be endless. Elation sets in again.
As a side note I must
say that the decision to study abroad is a large one and every different
program in each country could benefit you differently. Take to time to look
through them all and the advisers in the Study Abroad Office at Central are
always there to help. They also offer student advisers who can talk you through
their own experiences and help you further decide where you would feel the most
comfortable in staying while you study!
This last week has been
a whirlwind of packing, preparing, and setting everything in place so that my transition
(hopefully!) can be one of ease. The next two days will allow me to see if I’ve
accomplished these tasks. I did sign up for an International Student Identity
Card (ISIC), it isn’t required but I figured investing the $22 dollars now
could potentially help me in case my bags are delayed (they offer a $100 stipend
if it happens!) among other nice perks. Check it out as a just in case kind of
deal.
A final bit of advice,
I do recommend that you find time in the final days before your departure to
spend moments with the ones you care about most. It’s been the hardest for me
to give that one last hug before I take off, but I am eternally grateful for
the fact that I took the time to seek out their accompaniment before my
parting! So take the time and just do it, there will always be another hour to
pack and prepare somewhere down the line!
I’ll
post again when I find the time in the next few days and cannot wait to share
my first few days abroad!
