There's a First for Everything

Let me introduce myself. My name is Taylor, and I'm a junior at Ithaca College. I love it there. I mean, who doesn't love the independence?  

In college there are many posters and fairs that promote the idea of studying abroad. I mean, like everyone you know or your mother's friend's daughter just came back from a semester away and LOVED it. So, now it's my turn. 

Ever since I was in middle school, I had this desire to travel to Europe. More specifically, Germany. I'm a history buff and Germany is just so rich in history that it just captivated me. From that point, I knew that when the opportunity came, I had to seize it. I'm fortunate to say that I'll be studying in Berlin for the fall semester. 

I've never been out of the country, and I've only been on a plane once (class trip to Disney in high school), so yeah, I'm kind of new at this. Nobody in my family travels, so it's just me on my own, googling & asking friends all sorts of questions. Excited? Of course! Nervous? You bet! 

Packing so far has been ... nonexistent. Slowly I am making my way towards my suitcase. But I still have a couple of weeks left, so ... any last minute packers with me? Luckily, my friends from other schools are also going to be abroad (London & France), so they've been helping me tremendously throughout this whole process. I know nothing about the "hacks of packing", so them leaving before me is definitely a plus. I believe that over packing is a strong skill of mine. I can't just leave behind something because what if I'll actually need it? Chances are I won't, but I need that sense of security. So packing for this trip will definitely challenge me. 

Going to a different country is amazing, but going to a different country that speaks a different language is going to be tricky. I'm lucky enough that I'm able to take German in college, so that was a nice preparation. It definitely is less polished than it was while I was in school, but that's what Rosetta Stone is for, am I right? I'm not too worried about that part as I am so much about packing (I should probably start soon). 

The only word to describe this whole experience is crazy. It's crazy to think that I'll be taking a leap of faith and doing something completely on my own (I know I'll meet others there; I'm just being dramatic). I would have never thought that I would be traveling across Europe alone. But I am. And that's okay. Life is all about taking risks, and I'm about to take a big one. My word of advice: just do it! It sounds cliche, but it's true. I'm about to do something for the first time that others have done countless times. 

So, follow me along my journey as I travel to Berlin! You're in for a real adventure.