It truly is a surreal feeling being dropped off at an airport to leave everything you know for 5 weeks. My boyfriend, my new apartment, my pets, and the food in Tuscaloosa I’ve grown to adore. After 26 hours of travel, I’ll be landing in Sydney, Australia and then immediately loading a bus to Canberra, Australia. My mom has told me to be careful maybe 4000 times in the last week, but some things never change. The airport is surprisingly empty this afternoon, but the sweet smell of Jim & Nick’s BBQ wafting through the air assures me that travelers can experience their wonderful cheese biscuits. When I first learned of this program, I was unsure if I should actually try to go. I’ve never been out of the US. In all honesty, I’ve never crossed the Mississippi. I’ve only flown twice in my life, and needless to say my experience wasn’t pleasant. Plus, being in law school drains your sense of fun and adventure. Spending half of my summer abroad? What about networking? What about getting a job next summer? What about trying to secure a career after graduation? Isn’t flying to Australia a little, I don’t know, irresponsible?? I will have to get a loan for this, and I definitely don’t need any more of those… But, how many times will I have the opportunity to go to Australia after I start my career?
I decided to apply to the program anyway. I need to worry less and enjoy life a little more. My first year of law school was rough, and I need some major vacation time before I start back. Just as additional security to keep myself from backing out, I bought my non-refundable plane ticket as soon as I found out I was going to get to go. I don’t think I’ve been this nervous since the day I moved out of my Mom’s house for college. While I’ll know the language, I’ll know very few people. What if something goes wrong? What if I lose my passport? Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night and started going through a mental checklist of everything I needed to make sure I grabbed before I left for the airport.
This morning, I’m not as anxious. I’ve made it through security without any hitches, and I’m pretty sure my bag isn’t going to get lost. After all, I do get to spend a summer, errr, winter, in Oz. I’m going to enjoy this. After all, I get to hang out with koalas and kangaroos. ‘Till next time, Roll Tide!
My view as I write this…