Twenty-Four Hours Left in America

Packing List

Jasper Attempting to Stowaway

The Laptop is Mightier Than The Sword

I woke up this morning with one thought: “I’m going to Amsterdam tomorrow.”

This both terrifies and excites me. Terrifies because I have way too much crammed into my suitcase and I realize I still have the daunting task of deciding which of my precious belongings to leave in the States for the next six weeks. However, the overwhelming emotion is most definitely excitement as I sit here in my bed trying to ignore the luggage overflowing with clothes on the floor next to me.

There are so many things that excite me about Amsterdam, but the one word that keeps floating across my mind is “liberation”. I know already that the country I am going to be living in for the next month and a half strongly encourages individuality, friendliness and full experiences. I am thrilled that I will be able to ride my bike to the cafe for an early morning espresso before we start the day. I’m confident that I will converse with complete strangers and they won’t judge my extremely American accent and untranslatable Dutch. I know that I will be able to not only truly be myself, but also maybe even find myself during my time abroad.

I sit here in my bed in Nebraska in anticipation of the feeling of freedom that only comes with an experience like Amsterdam and I couldn’t be more ready to begin my journey, except maybe if I had a bigger suitcase.