Leaving home: my thoughts!

Apologies for the late posting – I had several unfinished drafts and I’m just now getting around to finishing them up! This was something I had prepared before I left for Vienna, but I think it’s still relevant now for anybody who’s planning on studying abroad sometime soon!

So I’m about one week out from my flight to Vienna, and honestly, it’s quite a mix of emotions. I’m feeling quite excited and I know that it will be an amazing experience, but I also feel a bit nervous about learning a new language, assimilating into the culture, and meeting new people. There’s a sort of mysterious energy about traveling to another country for an extended period of time that I enjoy.

I’m somebody who loves to travel. Sometimes, it doesn’t even matter where. I could be driving down from Boston to Cape Cod, I could be flying to Ohio, I could be taking a cruise to a Caribbean island, and I’d be excited. I think my emotions are just a bit more in flux because I know that I won’t be back in a while. When I leave for college, I often feel like things will change by the time I come back, that my home will be different, but leaving for almost 4 months will be a completely different story.

I’m finishing up my packing, just trying to make sure everything I need I have. Some people I know told me not to bring too much, since I’ll buy a lot of things there. I’m not sure what I plan to get, but I thought it was wise to heed their advice, so I have some empty space left. Pro tip: airlines often care about the weight of checked bags, so make sure even your checked bag isn’t too heavy (I think the limit is 50 pounds for most airlines, but check to make sure!). 

I honestly don’t have that much more to say. I’m really looking forward to the experience and I hope I really take advantage of it. My greatest worry would be that I don’t do rough when I’m there, but I’m sure I’ll get a chance to explore and travel. I view myself as a maximizer, somebody who really likes to get the most out of every trip or event, so hopefully I can do the same when I’m in Vienna.

For anybody who’s going to read this, just know that you’re not alone if you have mixed feelings. For now, all I’ll do is take my time for the last week, meet up with some friends, and just savor my last couple moments on American soil. I think it’s a great way to be grateful for the experience coming up and I think it’ll help my nerves calm down a bit. 

Anyways, this is my first blog post, so I’ll keep it shorter. Feel free to follow along my journey as I travel to Vienna and back for four months! I’m thinking about posting some guides and tips when I’m there, so hopefully it’ll help whoever is reading this! See you in Vienna!