I could not be more excited for my flight today. It is hard to imagine that at this time tomorrow, I will be in Italy. I have always wanted to travel, so as soon as I was presented the opportunity to go abroad, I did not hesitate to start the process. My primary consideration at the time was money. I was not completely sure that I could afford it, but I knew I couldn’t say no to Italy. Thankfully, UA has plenty of opportunities for scholarships, and I was able to continue without having to worry about money.
Even though I have committed countless hours to preparing, I still have a nagging feeling that I am not completely ready. However, I know that I am: my itinerary is set, and my classes are rolling. I definitely could have done more to prepare, but that does not me that I am not prepared. If I could do anything different, I would have started earlier. I found it dramatically more difficult to make plans (i.e. book Airbnb’s) as time passed, with my flight ticket as an exception.
One thing that has been a huge help so far are blogs. I used blogs for advice for nearly everything: when to buy a plane ticket, what luggage to bring, what to pack, and more. Just having advice from other people who have done this before was (and still is) a major help.
I am super grateful for this opportunity, and I cannot wait to completely immerse myself in Italian culture. I am hoping to not only learn about different cultures, but to also learn how to be a better traveler. This is definitely not the only trip overseas that I want to make; this is just the beginning!
