Ready for an adventure!

The days before departure are getting fewer and fewer!  Actually I will be boarding the plane in hours (approximately 110).  This all is a little hard to believe.  When I think about the fact that I will be soaking up the Australian sun at this same time next week, I feel as if I am living someone else's life.  It still hasn't quite sunk in that I am actually doing this.  Ready or not, I am traveling across the world!!

Between finals and the upcoming holiday, I have definitely been preoccupied.  Now that things are finally calming down and my trip is literally hours away, I am unsure how to feel.  So many thoughts are spiraling through my head....How will I pack? What am I going to forget? Is the plane going to leave on time? What if the weather is bad? Are Australians friendly? What does kangaroo taste like?  Even though all these thoughts, fears, questions, and curiosities prevent me from falling asleep at night, I try to assure myself that it will all turn out ok.

Despite all of my worries, I truly am excited about my trip!  Growing up in small town, I have never had an experience quite like this one.  I have spoken with a few students who have traveled to Australia in the past, trying to remember as many of their tips as I can.  This trip will be a once in a lifetime experience, so I am thrilled to take full advantage of it.  Some things that I hope to accomplish are: scuba dive and snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, attend a show at the Sydney Opera House, try kangaroo and other Australian specialties, spend a full day at the beach, watch the New Year's Eve fireworks display from Sydney Harbor, and of course learn about the culture of Australia!

 I am so excited to learn from these experiences and use this knowledge upon returning home.  My upcoming month could completely change my life and the way I view the rest of the world.  I will definitely miss all of my family and friends I am leaving behind, but I greatly look forward to the adventure that will soon begin!