I know without a doubt that my time in the Cook Islands will span more than one post because there’s so much that I did.  Some background, first though.

How would I summarize my hike through the Andes? A handful of plant snot.

Check that mucus. (Photo credit Amanda Stasiewicz.)

So far I’ve been pretty lucky whenever I venture outside of Christchurch and go somewhere.  In terms of weather, activities, and finding excellent places to eat.  When I ventured to Kaikoura, however, I wasn’t so lucky.

Only one week stands between me and my lifelong dream of living in Paris. In one week, I will be able to stroll along the Champs Elysees or pop into the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa. In one week, I can eat as many croissants, macaroons and baguettes as I please. In one week, I will be embarking on an extraoridnary new adventure in life.

As I’m sitting here writing this blog post, I feel both excited and nervous.

I felt exactly the same two years ago, when I was packing to leave for the States. I grew up in South Korea most of my life, and so going to a college in the U.S. was a great adventure for me. I was occupied with so many worries like:

“How am I going to make friends?” / “Will people there understand my English?” / “How am I going to handle classes taught in English?”

As I begin to think about packing and organizing my things for Frieburg, I reflect on my time in Turkey. This summer will be my third and last summer in Ankara. My dad is military and was assinged to the Embassy in December of 2010. It is hard for me to think that three years have gone by so quickly and that I am half way done with college. My first summer here was the start of a new chapter. I had just graduated high school and would begin freshman year in the fall.

As the final countdown begins until I leave for Rabat, the excitement I once had has turned into me being a nervous wreck. I have traveled outside of the country before, yet this feeling is a new feel. Knowing that you are about to be somewhere magnificent nonetheless completely away from home for an extended period of time is shocking.  Being the Google and research queen that I am, I have looked up the food, the night life and how to dress. After everything, packing is what I am still stuck on.