Before I go...

I thought I would write a brief post about my thoughts pre-departure. I will be flying out of Portland into New York, then New York to Madrid on Monday morning and I could not be more anxious to go. My bags are (almost entirely) packed and I have done everything on my check list. Unfortunately, I've become a little bit more nervous in this past week.

For those of you who don't know, I enjoy my bed and the feeling that comes from sleeping in on weekends and days off from work. There really isn't a better feeling than waking up within the  heavenly comfort and warmth of your down comforter when its snowing feet upon feet of snow outside (thanks Nemo...). This past week, however, I haven't been able to sleep in past 8:30. I blame my current lack of sleep on the horrifyingly realistic dreams that I have had about my time abroad. The most recent, for example, was a dream about realizing I had forgotten my passport, visa, and driver's license just before entering the drop-off area at JFK. In a panic I called my parents and asked them to meet me at the airport as fast as possible (I believe the best solution was by helicopter...) with the appropriate documents. Meanwhile, an older women sitting next to me on the bus continually repeated "I told you so, I told you so..." Maybe this was the subconscience of my parents reminding me to keep everything organized, or maybe this woman was simply a reminder that anything can happen. No matter what the representation, it freaked me out.

Another nerve racking topic of conversation that has been reoccurring in this past week is that I will, without question, have something stolen from my person or from my luggage. I will not be naive and believe that it won't happen; I would just rather remain positive and remind myself that I am a cautious and organized person. Whenever someone hears that I am traveling to Spain, the first story they share is one about losing one thing or another. One woman shared a story about her friend who was eating at a restaurant with her bag between her legs and wrapped around a chair. Even though she took these precautions, she claims a person managed to crawl under the table, open up her backpack, and remove her laptop and wallet. Another woman told my mom that her backpack was picked through while she was asleep on a train traveling throughout Europe. Another person told me how there are actual techniques used to remove a person's watch from their wrist, simply by loosening the band with their thumb and pointer finger. Rather than let these stories break my confidence in traveling throughout Europe, I would like to acknowledge the distinct possibility that it could happen to me, keep myself organized, and move on. If I do lose a couple euros from my wallet I can just chalk it up as an experience, because from the frequency to which I hear these stories, it is not unlikely that it will happen to me.

All of that being said, I really am excited and ready for this experience. I have always wanted to take advantage of a study abroad opportunity and now is the time! Thanks for reading and check back soon. I will try my best to post weekly!


Besos!