I awoke at 4 AM in a hotel in Atlanta, Georgia this morning. My flight was leaving early, and considering that I was departing from one of the busiest airports in the United States, I wanted to arrive much, much earlier. As my parents drove me to the terminal, we went through each important thing on the packing list to ensure it was in my suitcase. While this calmed our shared anxiety that I may have forgotten something, it also allowed us to not dwell too long on the fact that I was leaving. I had never traveled outside the country before, and the prospect of doing it without my family, though exciting, carried with it a unique type of stress. What if I got hurt or sick? What if I managed to lose my credit card or cash? What if something happened and I was alone, with no one there to help me? That last question, in particular, seemed to be heavy on my Mom’s mind. But the truth was, I wasn’t alone. Being a part of the Blount Scholars Program at UA, I was able to connect with and get to know several of my classmates who were attending this trip before I had even decided that I was going. Additionally, the geography department, which facilitated the class I am taking while abroad, consisted of many outgoing professors who I quickly came to know well over the past few months. Though I am only a freshman, the Capstone community welcomed me with open arms in a way I had never anticipated. I believe it is because of this that I have never felt alone in my preparation for my trip to Belize. I have felt anxious, of course, and certainly tired at times, but never alone. It is with a warm heart that I write this post, surrounded in the terminal by several friends and classmates who are embarking on this journey for the first time too.
