I’m standing in the middle of my room in Long Island, New York, and the floor is nowhere to be seen. Piles of clothes, shoes, bags, and toiletries are strewn across the room and conceal the hardwood flooring beneath them. Soon I will consolidate everything into 3 suitcases and the floor will be spotless. My packing will have to be very strategic in order to fit everything. In addition, I plan to leave space in my suitcases to bring back souvenirs for family and friends.
In between packing, I am trying to savor my favorite aspects of my home for as long as I can. I will miss my family and friends the most. Whatsapp is our planned form of communication. My brother insists that we have a way of video chatting. A few of my closest friends and I will be having dinner together on Sunday, the day before I leave. I will squeeze them one last time, and by then reality should set in. I’ll be in the air headed straight for Barcelona the following day.
Thankfully, my flight is at 11:00pm, so I will have time to do any last-minute packing without any distractions. I will be flying out of JFK with one of my good friends from high school, Lindsay. Lindsay is participation in the IES Abroad Barcelona program as well. I’m so excited to have a friend who is studying abroad with me.
Mary Zarba
<p>Hey there! My name is Mary Zarba, I am a junior in college, and I am studying abroad in Barcelona with IES Abroad in the Spring of 2020. I study environmental science at a school connected with Syracuse University called SUNY-ESF. Being from Long Island originally, I absolutely love adventuring outdoors especially if I'm near the ocean. I never forget to bring my camera on these adventures. I have a passion for capturing the moment through a lens and transforming ordinary photos and video clips into creative masterpieces.</p>
