Here we go! It's the final stages now. After three tries I'm finally all packed! All that's left is my little daily things, my computer, and my mental stability.. If I can find it. My feelings right now? Excited, but sad- numb almost. Again, I'm missing a huge semester of my life but the experience I am gaining in return is beyond anything I could ever dream of. I cannot wait to see where life takes me this next semester! I even made a calendar last night of all the events (MUDEC, Luxembourg, and things I discovered on my own) and I am eager and committed to doing everything and anything while abroad! My only regret is not planning out my travel dreams more.. I have a post, The Bucket List, which covers some hopes and dreams. But my imagination and internal travel bug are bound for more!! Maybe I'll do some more planning on my 10 hours of airport travel.. Or maybe i'll sleep.. But I'm assuming I won't be getting any of that for the next few days! I cannot be more excited. Luxembourg, I'm ready for ya! ✈ I'm also terrified of the airport in general.. I am meeting a friend in Detroit but again, I've never actually flown alone.. And my 50 minute layover in Amsterdam isn't helping either.. Lets hope I make it!! We will see..
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So packing is not going well... Also no post title for now bc weebly keeps shutting down!! thx for nothingHere's my update: I leave in 3 days, I am currently repacking my suitcase for the third time, I bought space saver vacuum bags so I don't freeze towards the end of the semester, and I still can't decide what shoes to take... So yeah not good!!! But take off in 3 days and just wanna pack, sleep, and eat until then!! My nerves are on a roller coaster right now. But hey, Europe here I come!
So I started packing just to test some stuff out.. I also spent 8 hours at the mall and bought 4 things so I want a little motivated and PO'd so it seemed appropriate. But here's the thing: Remember that packing list a post pack? Respect the packing list. I sure as hell didn't. Here's what I could shove in my bag:
ALSO HERE'S TODAYS ADVENTURESo I mentioned that I spent 8 hours today shopping right? Well none of these pictures are from today, but here are some of my new purchases! So I've been crying about a rain jacket for months now. I wanted a $150 ~sale~ one from Joules but that wasn't about to happen... So it was like my 4567 trip to TJ MAXX in the past week and out of the corner of my eye I see this gem. All alone, out of place, calling my name... So I would like to thank TJ's random selection of products and Michael Kors for this one. You will do great things.
Little LuxuriesIf you're anything like me there's bound to be a travel journal involved.. Here's my must-haves on the subject • The journal I wanted a Midori-like traveler's notebook but ended up finding a little gem at target instead. Mine contains pockets, maps, stickers, and ruled/kraft/grid paper. It really was a bang for my buck considering I paid maybe $15 where a Midori ranges $30-50 • Art supplies I ended up making a little rinky-dink watercolor box for my mini sketchbook. It's crazy what an old candy tin, way past it's wear craft clay, and some high school watercolors can do! I also have some Stabilo fineliner markers and a lifetime supply of black Papermate markers.. They are my favorite. I also have a box of washi tapes, cardstock, stickers, and other misc craft supplies to spice up the pages of my journal So I have decided that if the plane goes down and I am left with just my carry on for four months here are my top 10 things I'll have to survive off of: 1. My Travelon bag & passport wallet 2. My laptop 3. My favorite pair of jeans 4. My rain jacket 5. My intimates (only bc if its not on the list you'll be thinking "ew" in your head) 6. My tennis shoes 7. My camera 8. My jean jacket 9. My favorite shirt (s) 10. I am still considering the peanut butter Basically I need to pack the best of the best, the must-haves.. The things I can wear everyday and be fine with it. On the bright side: Winter & fall is my sweatshirt & sweater heaven. The bad side: I'm only taking a medium suitcase and a carry on.. Pack smart my friends. And pack light!! I refuse to step on the scale but if it saves me $100 at the check-in at the airport then it's worth it.. Gonna wear my heavy stuff and suffocate on the plane wish me lux!! (Like that? I stole it..) Things I Still Need To Do1. Make a killer playlist
I don't know if I mentioned it but my flight is ~13 hours long.. So if I don't have one of those movie screens in front of my face you better bet I'll have 13 hours worth of playlists downloaded. Worst comes to worse: I'll bring an eye mask and some sleeping pills. 2. Plan out my hopes & dreams So thanks to my study tours I do have a few adventures planed. Obviously that's not enough. So here's my mini bucket list. I'm packing this one mentally • Pick sunflowers from the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam • Take a picture in front of the Moulin Rouge in Paris • Walk through Claude Monet’s Garden in France • Swim in the Széchenyi thermal bath of Budapest • Explore Gaudi's creations and Park Guell in Barcelona • Visit the Colosseum & Pantheon in Rome 3. Shop until I drop (dead) There are still 100 things I need but no space or money or patience to spend all day at the mall. I love shopping, don't get me wrong. But every time I go I keep buying things I don't need. What I DO need is to have a stern talk with myself about what practical clothing means.. Neutral shirts, umbrella, a new bra, and maybe some socks.. That should do it Everyone keeps asking me if I'm ready to leave. I am honestly getting close to writing "leave me alone" on my forehead. I am excited, don't get me wrong. But there is a whole new level of emotional stress that comes with leaving the country for 4 months!! We are two weeks out so I figured it was about time to talk about some stuff.. So lets start at the very beginning: I didn't know I wanted to go to LUX until probably October/November of last year. I knew I wanted to study abroad but I wanted to go in the spring. But then I talked to some classmates and applied on a whim and what do you know spring came and I got that "you've been accepted" letter. But little do they tell you although excitement comes, sadness comes as well. I've been pushing off thinking about Europe because it is a huge life changing adventure that if i am being honest I don't know if I am ready for. Conversations with friends went from "When we live together next fall.." to "I can't believe you're ditching me in the fall.." And it's sad because I know deep down I am about to have the most incredible experience of my life, but with that I am missing out on a major part of my college experience. I love my friends and the people in my life and it's going to be really hard to say goodbye. And I think that's a major reason why I haven't talked about it. Obviously I keep mentioning all the boyfriends I'll have in Europe, but that's the gist of it. I feel selfish almost to talk about it- either people hate me for leaving or they just honestly don't care. It's a sad situation to live with. But despite the emotional pull I am ready to take on the adventure. In a blink of an eye I'll be back on campus- hopefully a better and brighter person. What about you?What about me? Oh yeah, right. Seriously I am such a specific type of person that studying abroad was probably the worst thing I could have done. I'm already a physco instaslore when it comes to traveling and vacations so picture my 400 photo memory card after one day in Chicago times 114... A DISASTER I TELL YA! I am crazy. It's fine, I'll own up to it. But with this crazy comes the hell of preparations. Two weeks and I only have my shoes packed. Two weeks and I'm more concerned about my travel journal than I am my housing letter I was suppose to receive three weeks ago.. Crazy I'm telling you! But I'll make it, maybe. I'm trying not to pack until I go shopping. I can't go shopping until I get my goodbyes out of the way.. And everyday I want to something pops up! I really just need a week to turn off my phone and take the keys and drive. I am holding it all together well I think.. But wait until Tuesday when the two weeks become one.. It'll be fun. But for now I'm trying not to stress about it. I'm in for a grand adventure! What's the trouble?Let me just go on a little rant right now.. So my archi group and I are all in one happy luxembo groupme. Here is where you will find us crying about all the miscommunication and unorganizedness that comes with Miami. #1 annoyance: No housing letter. And the funny thing is they sent out our study tour registration in July and it was all planned out and they were super freaking out about everyting having to do with the tours.. Yet no housing letter.. I'm not bitter or anything I'd just like to know if I have a place to stay for the next four months or if I'm sleeping under my desk in the chateau. No biggie #2 blood boiler: The sketchbook horror. This is seriously something so dumb to be stressed about which is why I think it stresses me out the most. Here's the problem: as an architecture student I am well aware of having to spend and arm and a leg on supplies for school. But here's the issue: We "need" an A3 11X17 sketchbook for studio. Guess what? Amazon is the only place that sells this size and it's $40 for like 25 sheets.. That's a HUGE HELL TO THE NO on my part. So here we are all freaking out thinking we have to buy 14x17 sketchbooks which are the monster of all monsters. Not happening. SO luckily a classmate has her life together and loves to email her complaints to the coordinators. End of story: she got our studio to order us a class set for when we get there. Hallelujah. Stress avoided time to celebrate. #3 much like the first: The AST letter.. For those who don't know: this is the little piece of paper that gets us into the country and grants us temporary residency. Kind of a big deal. The problem? It took 5ever to get to us. Not as long as the housing letter, but longer than necessary. Honestly I don't know who is on the mailing team but they need a serious time management training session. The communication is not good!! #4 almost got me out the door: THE FREAKING TB TEST. Listen, so once we arrive in Luxembourg we are required by the government to take a tuberculosis test. Super easy, super quick, super annoying. Turns out the only day us architecture students can take the test is on a Friday when we don't have classes. No big deal right? Wrong. The two time slots in September when we are available we have study tours planned. And I'm just saying, it would have been nice to worry about the more important stuff like medical tests rather than traveling.. Just saying.. So here we all are, all complaining about wanting to have a new specific time slot for all of us to take the test that wouldn't get in the way of the tours. Apparently that was too much to ask. I'll skip the details but it's been a huge inconvenience. So the final arrangement: Half of us have to take it one Friday and skip the entire day of the study tour since they have a class trip the following time slot and cannot skip. The other half of us on the other hand can take it the following week so we don't have to skip the first tour, but we are forced to miss the morning of the second day tour and just make the afternoon. I know the study tours aren't like a life or death situation but cmon. it's like a 5 second test. Thanks for being flexible Miami PSA IN NO WAY DO I MEAN TO BASH THE PROGRAM BC I AM SO SO THANKFUL BUT AS SOMEONE WHO GETS STRESSED OUT ABOUT EVERYTHING JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT I AM A MESS AND THE PLANNING PROCESS IS NOT HELPING But speaking of study tours..Back some time ago we were able to register for four tours: 1. A Day with the Dutch 2. A Different Perspective of Luxembourg and a Taste of Trier 3. The City of Lights 4. Light Up the Night We still have a few more we can register for once classes start too: 1. The Best of Belgium 2. Lovely Little Luxembourg 3. The Magic of Christmas in the Alsace 4. Unwind and Relax 5. Medieval Christmas Markets As a summary: I AM BEYOND EXCITED!! So here's the thingAlthough I am stressed about shopping, about planning my trips, about packing.. I am beyond excited. Two weeks out and I am still having trouble believing it's real. But here I am.. closer and closer to my dream of going to Europe and traveling the world! Not only am I excited for the new experience, but I cannot wait to get closer to my group of friends and maybe even put our year of architecture history to the test.. I know at least three buildings in Europe so we will see how it goes.. I might geek ALSO huge shoutout to Travelon for the anti theft backpack. I'm looking forward to not having my stuff stolen!! |
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