It's Time!!

As I write this blog post the morning of my departure while eating a wonderful breakfast and drinking my much needed coffee, I am doing a mental checklist of everything I need to do before my flight leaves at 4.  I feel remarkably peaceful but I can feel the butterflies as well so some anxiety is definitely there.  It just seems as though my summer has flown by already and I cannot believe I get to do the thing I have been waiting to do for so long TODAY!

I spent the first half of my summer in College Station taking summer classes and volunteering at a hospital, which left me with much less time to pack and research everything that I wanted.  I have lived overseas twice and travelled extensively because of that.  My family lived in Scotland from 2000-2003 (during my 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade years).  We travelled throughout the UK, France, southern Germany, Austria (we did the Sound of Music tour like tacky tourists.. haha), Switzerland, and Italy.  I absolutely LOVED it and so going back to Europe after 8 years makes me very excited.  My family also lived in Jakarta, Indonesia but only in 2008 so we were not able to travel as much in Asia.

Although I feel like the seasoned traveller writing that out, I have never travelled by myself so that aspect has me nervous.  I do not like planes at all.  I credit that to watching Cast Away with my father the day before I rode my very first plane.  Not a smart idea at all.  However, I know that I will be fine and I have obviously been on many planes so I keep giving myself pep talks.

I first learned about the History of Medicine tour at a study abroad fair my freshman year of college.  After talking to a girl who had been on it, I knew that I really wanted to participate.  Finding funding and prepping for this trip has really added to my independence and I expect that will continue once I get to Europe.  Because I am a biomedical engineering major, I am really looking forward to touring the Otto Bock center and the Sports Museum of Cologne.  I am a premed student as well though so of course I am excited to visit the medical schools and watch surgeries.  It still hasn't hit me that I am leaving today and I assume that it won't completely until I board the plane!  I am looking forward to an unforgettable five weeks.  I feel as though it is Christmas is July.