I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way

Fall 2017: this is where it all began. One of my favorite people in the whole world (Megyn Gordon) had just come back from a full summer of studying abroad in Spain. It was all she could talk about, so of course I was curious. Study abroad had changed her life, and I thought maybe, just maybe, it could change mine too. So, when she mentioned the idea of studying abroad together in Germany this summer, I didn't have to think twice.
Fast forward to Spring 2017: we were accepted into the program and started slowing paying all of the expenses. Let me tell you, racking up the bills definitely makes it feel real. The anxiety starts to set in, but the excitement is way more overpowering. Studying for finals gets even more difficult when all you want to do is plan for fun weekend trips.
Today 5/27 (the day I leave the U.S. to arrive in Frankfurt tomorrow): The excitement has nearly reached its peak, but so has the anxiety. I have cried about four times in the last 24 hours (mostly happy tears), but if you know me, you would expect that. Today I will travel by myself for the first time and to a hemisphere that I have never been to. I have said my goodbyes to my closest friends and family for six weeks, but I know I will come back with so many stories to share with them. I have many expectations for this trip. I want to see some of the most beautiful places in the world, try interesting foods, embrace a new culture and language, make lots of friends, and hopefully gain a better understanding of what I have to offer the world. As much as I have anticipated everything that this trip will bring to me, I know I will get out of it whatever I put into it. I have realized this is true with almost everything in life. I want this study abroad to have a lasting impact that will carry through even when I come back home to the U.S. I know this trip will help shape me into the person I am meant to become, and I cannot wait to share that part of myself with my loved ones back home.

Ich werde euch alle in sechs Wochen sehen ~

Jen Reed

"Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow." - Anita Desai