As I look at all of the articles of clothing that are sprawled out over my bed, I feel a mix of excitement, nervousness, and of being overwhelmed. Just five days ago I had all of these clothes packed away neatly in their respective spots at my apartment in Tuscaloosa and now I can’t see my bed underneath the numerous outfits I have planned out for my trip. Fitting all of these clothes into a bag and balancing the line between overpacking and under packing is just one of the many things on my to-do list before I leave tomorrow morning. I have been abroad a few times before in my life, once to Ireland and once to Turkey/Greece, but this will be my first time traveling over the great Atlantic by myself. Consequently, I made sure to plan out my trip as much as I could and prepare for every case scenario as best as I could. For example, I am taking a carry on and a checked bag with me on the trip and I made sure to pack three outfits into my carry on in the event that the airline loses my luggage, and I would not be able to retrieve it until the next day. Luckily when I get there, assuming all flights go according to plan and without delays, the other 24 students from University of Alabama in my study abroad group will be waiting. I board tomorrow and I am super excited for what this adventure has in store!
