A Very Lucky Girl

It's very humbling to come to a brand new (to me) country, that is in fact older than my own country, and interact with several different cultures at once. Classes don't start until Monday, but I've already gathered a wealth of facts that I never knew before. Boots are not the most comfortable shoes to get lost in It's never too soon to watch Orange Is The New Black with a new friend and then comment on the phallic shaped crackers in our soup. Thanks Nat.  Time changes are the bane of my existence. You mean I have finished lunch and my American friends have barely touched breakfast?  Always carry a grocery bag with you because you never know when you might come across Tesco/Poundland/Lidl and suddenly need to grocery shop. On a related note, large market trips are impossible.  Lemon vodka is the direct equivalent of Smirnoff ice and I will continue to drink it shamelessly. Sluuuurp. Don't believe Aussie's when they tell you they live in fear of the dropbe...

"She is whatever she wants to be...She's got the world at her fingertips."--Ben Rector I've never been more proud of anything in my life than I am that I'm hours away from sitting on an airplane bound for Europe.  I dreamed of studying abroad since high school, fleeting thoughts of "oh, how cool would that be!" I thought a little more seriously about the prospect when college came around, but I didn't intensely pursue it until a year and a half ago.  And a year and a half later...here I am. Ready or Not, Here I Come.  I worked and saved money, I filled out applications, I got advised twice for good measure, I scanned documents, I made copies of valuable papers, I went to the dentist, I sat at a kitchen table and counted pills to make sure my prescriptions would last for six months. I said my goodbyes, some hard, some flippantly easy.  I did this. I made my dream come true.  I know my time studying in Dundee, Scotland will pass far too q...

I've shared before my dream of studying abroad. On Friday I was informed of my acceptance to the University of Dundee for Spring 2014. I've been saving and saving to make this dream a reality and I'm hoping to make my savings stretch as far as I can. And I am talking geographically. I'm thrilled to be moving to Dundee, Scotland for a semester, but I'd love to explore as much as Europe as I can while I'm in the vicinity! My location bucket list includes: Italy: This is my number one, would-pee-with-happiness-if-I-got-to-go, destination. Rome, Venice, Florence. I'd love to do it all, but I'd settle for just Rome. Also, POMPEII, PLEASE. Mount Vesuvius is practically the only thing I remember from middle school history.  Ireland: This is a far more realistic location, considering it neighbors Scotland. Also, St. Patrick's day will occur while I'm abroad, and where else would I celebrate such a holiday!? England: I'm coming for you, Prince H...