Packing really sucks. A lot.

I finally decided that I should start packing, since I am leaving in, oh, THREE AND A HALF DAYS! Yikes! 

I have been dreading and putting off this phase of my trip because, no matter where I am going or for how long, packing sucks. A lot. 

It really isn't much worse than I expected, but the anxiety that packing for this five-month trip is causing me is unreal. So, as I was filling up my super handy Space Bags (and fit all of my fun clothes into one medium size bag!), I decided that I don't care if I over pack. I am going to bring what I want to bring, what I think is necessary, and what I think I might need (all within reason), and I am NOT going to feel bad about it! So there!!

Okay, so I am telling myself that I am not going to feel bad about packing so much, but I keep having visions of myself struggling through the airport with ridiculous amounts of luggage, just like Snooki & the rest of the cast when Jersey Shore went to Italy (don't judge me, this is a great reference).
 

Snooki with just some of her luggage...and Crocadilly.

Okay, I am not nearly that bad, but seriously, I have a lot of stuff that I want to bring and a lot of stuff that I need to bring - I am moving my entire life 4,500 miles away for five months! I need options!

I have been doing really well with the Space Bags mentioned earlier. They are a great help! I got mine at Walmart - the Super Value Combo Pack of six various sized bags for less than $20 and another set of two large bags for less than $10. Not too bad! 

Even though the Space Bags are going to help me fit all of my stuff into my suitcases, they turn into extremely dense bricks of clothing and are pretty dang heavy. So, I might be able to fit everything I want to take into my luggage, but I highly doubt it will weigh less than 50 pounds.

This is a problem. The overweight baggage charge for British Airways is $60 from any US Departure airport. The charge for an extra bag is also $60 at the airport, but if I pay in advance, it is only $51. Doesn't it make more sense to pay the $51 to have a second bag and a lot more room for my stuff than $60 for my one super-stuffed bag being overweight?

However, just thinking about having two big checked suitcases, a carry-on size suitcase, and a personal item (most likely a backpack), is engaging my Snooki-airport nightmare. Meh.  At least I have a couple of days to figure that mess out!


Other than packing, which really involves a lot lot lot more than clothes and toiletries, I don't have much left to do (packing really is enough)! Unfortunately, most of my friends from home are back at school, and I just don't think I will have to time to go visit them. Hello! Three and a half days!! I need to spend some time with my family, because as much as all of us being crammed together in one house is bugging me out right now, I am really going to miss them while I am away! My mom is already going around the house, pouting and telling me she needs a hug, and even though I don't need a hug right now, I probably will wish I could have one in a couple of weeks.

Ahh...the nerves are setting in!



Other last-minute issues include:

• Getting my student loans from my school to take as spending money...or even receiving any information about that at all - hello?! An email back would be helpful!!
• Purchasing a new battery for my laptop - the "Consider replacing your battery" and "There is a problem with your battery, so your computer might shut down suddenly" messages would start to appear a week before I am scheduled to leave! Even though my laptop is still under warranty, apparently the battery is not. Annoying.
• Not yet receiving documents in the mail that are really important for me to apply for my visa.
• Figuring out how I am going to afford purchasing an iPad. I reaaaalllyy want to get one to take with me, but they are freaking expensive! The benefits of the iPad over more affordable tablets make the hefty price worth it, but I don't want to go abroad with my bank accounts empty because I still don't have my loans (see first bullet)!

Well, that's all for now!

Aaaand Boom Goes the Dynamite.

HO-LY CRAP. What a couple of weeks it has been: hellos, goodbyes, smiles, tears, hugs, kisses, forgiveness, airplanes, strange beds, food food food, the doctors office, and lots and lots of family. And I haven't even left the country yet.

Unfortunately, there has been minimal preparation for Prague these past two weeks. Oh well, I still have a week to get everything together, and let's be honest, I am a college student, and we excel under pressure and looming deadlines...err, well, we're used to them. I did get a chance to start Prague in Black and Gold! Unfortunately, I am still on the first chapter, and this was just one of many of the books I meant to read before I left...ooops. Maybe it will be more fulfilling to read the books in Prague and visit the locations as I read! Maybe I will actually have time to do that! Did I mention that these past couple of weeks have left me delusional, too? No?

Anyways, I am tired. My grandma, my father's mother, Dede, passed away the morning of last Wednesday, January 16. I hadn't seen Dede in a very long time, and am sad to say that I do not have too many memories of her, and did not know her nearly as well as I should have. I am 20 years old, and should have known better - that I am an adult (mostly) and can (should) be responsible for my own trips to see family, that life isn't eternal, that other people's issues are not my own, that family is everything. I cried for the missing memories, the missed opportunities, the woman who left me her legacy, who I should have known better and with whom I should have spent more time, for those for which the loss cuts deeper, for guilt, for love. I am sorry, Dede, that I did not know you better, but I will honor you through cultivating my relationships with the rest of my family. Thank you for what you have passed down to me, and thank you for my family.

Even though the past couple of weeks have been difficult and emotionally draining, they have also been incredibly fulfilling. Dede may be gone, but she left me a whole lot of amazing family members to help me get to know her better, and with to build relationships. It is unfortunate that Dede's death is what brought this side of my family back together, but, the way I look at it, that was just one more gift from my grandmother. Maybe it is a little morbid to consider it this way, as the reason for this trip was based around loss and heartache, but I am really glad that I had the opportunity to reconnect with some of my extended family before heading abroad.

You know how there is always that weird/annoying/snobby family member that nobody really likes, but everyone puts up with because, well, they're  still family? Yeah, I don't have any of those. My family is AWESOME. All of them. Both sides. For some reason, my immediate family has isolated itself from that awesomeness. Not cool, not cool at all. I got the chance to reconnect with some of these amazing people, and to realize how much they mean to me. Needless to say, I hope to be back in Iowa again before 2013 ends, and I have a few other places to visit, too. Thanks for bringing us back together, Dede.

I returned home from Iowa and that side of my family late Tuesday night, immediately unpacked my bags, repacked for warmer weather, slept for three hours, and returned to the airport (thank you Mom for being the airport shuttle). I had previously planned a trip down to South Carolina to visit my grandparents, before Dede passed, and was unable to change my airplane ticket for less than $500. A few extra hours of sleep is not worth $500...not that I even have $500. Anyways, the timing of this trip has worked out perfectly, and I am glad that I have the opportunity to visit with some more family before heading over the Big Blue. My time here has been relaxing, my grandparents are spoiling the crap out of me, and IT IS SO WARM! Hello 70 degree weather!! I am enjoying it as much as I can - it is currently 5AM in Prague and 20 degrees, but don't worry, it should get up to 27 degrees there today -____-

Anyways, I am thankful for this hectic time because it has brought me closer to my family and made me realize how much I value those people. Even though the circumstances of the lesson are hard, Dede's death has taught me that there is always time for family and important people in my life, and not to let anything else get in the way - make time for the important stuff. I am so much more comfortable knowing that while I am in Prague, I have a solid and extensive support network at home rooting for me (they were always there, I just had to realize that). I hope that my last week in the States will be slightly less busy than the past two, but that is probably just me in my delusional state again. I should probably get some sleep now.



P.S.  7 more days!

P.P.S. GO VISIT YOUR FAMILY!!

Other things that scare me...

A Pensive Mood

As the need to pack up my room at my apartment at school grows more pressing, I have grown reminiscent about this past semester. Not only did I do well in my classes, they provided me with some incredible practical experiences that will certainly serve me well during my internship. The business program at my school is phenomenal - classes, professors, and fellow students, all. Academically, I do not think that there has been another semester that rivals the experience I gained this past fall (or the stress of it all).

Although I am grateful for what I learned last semester, I will really cherish the friendships that have grown. I have become closer to so many of my fellow students and professors, and I cannot have asked for any more support, friendship, rivalry, or camaraderie. 

While I know that if I stuck around for the spring, these friendships would continue to grow, the timing of my study abroad could not feel more perfect. It is time for me to leave for a while, to go somewhere new, experience some new things, meet some new people. I know that I will long for home while I am away, but that will just make my return ever more sweet. 

The only true regret that I have for being away is not having this last semester with the seniors who will be graduating this May. So many of them have become good friends, and the bittersweet sting of their graduation grows sharper with the knowledge that I might not get to see many of them after their graduation, and definitely not altogether and as easily. But, with their graduation comes my senior year, and I could not be more excited for what that year will bring. I can honestly say that every single semester of college has been even better than the last, and I am growing glum about my ever-nearing graduation when I have to leave this place.

So, before I grow too pensive about not being at my home school this spring, let me inventory some more of the things I grow nervous about.

Other Things That Scare Me

More issues? I've got plenty...

1. Packing. I am not a light packer, and five months is a long time. And a lot of seasons. Yikes.
2. Weather. It is going to be COLD when I arrive. I am not good at dressing for cold. At all. Help.
3. Transportation. Not only am I not versed in the ways of public transportation (at ALL), but it is all in a different language. Erhm...
4. Money. If I don't know the words for numbers, how will I pay the correct amount for things?! One of my lesser worries, but still...
5. Smiling. This is silly, but I smile a lot. Usually I just don't know what is going on, so I just smile and people think I know what's up. Czechs (apparently) are quite reserved. I am not. Especially with smiling. Hello, tourist!
6. Not having a smartphone! Okay, first-world problems, but really! I use my Android for everything: navigation, to look things up, to keep my schedule & calendar, as my alarm, to do math, to TEXT! Sometimes, I even use it as a phone! I will, of course, have a phone, but no doubt it will be a brick. Hey, at least I probably won't break it!
7. Shopping. Groceries and toiletries will probably be difficult at first, and I am sure I will make a few mistakes. I have read several stories about accidents involving cereal with buttermilk....yum?
8. Cooking. This kind of goes with shopping, but I am not a super great cook to begin with. Having ingredients in a different language will probably not make me any better. I think I will just stick to the basics (fruit, veggies, bread, eggs, etc.) and eat out a lot. Not that I am complaining!

Well, that is all for now. I know that this will be a life-changing, invaluable experience for me, but that doesn't stop me from being the control freak that I am and wanting to know every in and out before I go! Oh well, maybe this experience will teach me how to be a little more flexible. One can hope.

About My Adventure

I told you about some of the things I am looking forward to and some of the things that make me nervous in Exciting & Terrifying, but really nothing about my adventure. So, here goes:


I am spending my spring semester abroad in the Czech Republic. I will live in Prague, but I plan to travel around Europe throughout my stay. Instead of traditional study abroad taking classes at a university, I will be working a marketing internship with an upscale fitness brand. My internship will be 14 weeks and span from February through mid-May. I haven't decided whether or not I want to tell you where I am doing my internship. Hmmm...I probably will not ;)

After the completion of my internship, I will have a two-week break during which I will be traveling to a few different countries. A friend or two from home are planning to meet up with me and we will travel around Europe together. Yay!! I cannot wait for this part! Not only will traveling with my partner(s) in crime be hilarious and oh so much fun, but after 14 weeks, seeing someone from home will be ah-mazing! I look forward to it, even though I haven't even left!

After the amazing two weeks of traveling, I will take a four-week summer course at the University of New York Prague. Psychology of Extremism sounds pretty dang cool by itself, but getting to take it abroad will be an interesting little experience. By the way, there are no classes on Fridays...yup, the US is doing something wrong....



SoOoOo that is the skeletal layout of my trip. Other interesting tidbits include:

• My roommate and one of my best friends, Carly (Carl), is also studying abroad this semester. She arrived in Rome, Italy less than a week ago, and is already having the time of her life - lucky duck! Here is the link to her blog, which makes me super jealous. I love her and miss her and cannot wait to take advantage of the fact that we are both in Europe at the same time! Check out her Roman Ventures
• An acquaintance that I attended high school with will be in Prague at the same time as me. It will be so nice to have a friendly face close by! I haven't found her blog yet (although I bet she does or will have one), but you can be sure that when I do, I will post links!
• My heritage is heavily German and Polish. I cannot wait to visit the Motherlands!!
• I will be returning to the States the first week of July, and another of my good friends, roommates, and teammates, Kala, is getting married the following week. I am one of two Mistresses of Ceremonies (along with Carl, the one in Rome), so I will need to take a crash course in Kala and David's wedding! Yikes!  They are the cutest couple in all of eternity and might make you barf a little from jealousy (see below) *sigh*
• I am brand new to blogging, so this is certainly part of the adventure, too! 

**UPDATE** 

Pictures:

Me & Carly, my roommate and BFF from the States

David & Kala, the cutest couple ever; soon to be married

My main partners in crime (L to R), Mikaela, Carl, Cay, Alex, me; yes, this is typical

But, we can act normal (sometimes), too

 

Exciting & Terrifying

 Just under three weeks until I start my five-month adventure in Prague, Czech Republic! There are so many things that I am excited for, and so many things that make me nervous!

Exciting things:

1. FOOD & BEER! - Food is always a top interest for me, and I hear that Czech beer is like drinking the golden liquid of the gods. I will have to get back to you on that one...

2. Architecture - I hope to never be able to look at a building back in the States the same way after this adventure.

3. Nazi History - Living in Prague puts me in the perfect position to feed my (probably unhealthy) obsession with Nazi history and the Holocaust. The Czech Republic is nestled right between Germany and Poland. What better location could there be to allow me to explore all of the interesting and horrifying sites that I have read so much about?

4. People! - I cannot wait to make new friends abroad! Also on the nervous list, though...

5. Internship - Real work experience! Woo! I know I will learn a lot, but also on the nervous list...

Things that make me nervous:

1. People! - Okay, I will be spending five months here. If I don't make friends, I am going to be miserable. Since I won't be taking classes at a university, but completing a full-time internship instead, it might be difficult for me to meet people my age. Time will tell.

2. Internship - HOLY CRAP! This is real-world stuff! I just had my 20th birthday, and that number makes me feel slightly more competent than 19 did, but I still feel like I should be back scooping ice cream at my high school job. I hope that I can be useful!

3. Language - No, I do not know any Czech, and yes, it is extremely difficult to learn. Prague is notoriously English friendly, but I hope to learn a bit of the language. Nobody wants to be the ignorant American, although I surely will be just that. Hmm...maybe by the end of my five months in Prague I will be on my way to being a less-obnoxious American. One can hope.

4. Family & Friends - I am going to miss them!! Skype will be helpful, but there is no replacement to being around your family and friends. Boo.

5. Getting lost/mugged/Taken - Basically, safety issues. I like to think of myself as aptly able to defend myself and/or invincible, but let's be honest, my self-defense skills are not battle-tested, and nobody is invincible.



I was talking to a classmate about my semester abroad, and he asked, "Aren't you terrified?" Yes. Yes, I am. The way I see it, though, life is pretty boring if you aren't terrified once in a while. What spurs growth better than a little fear?

P.S. Yeah, I didn't really know where the heck Prague was before I decided to go there. Lucky for  you, I found this map to help you find it, too! The Czech Republic is the lovely teal country near the middle of the map, and Prague is the star.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world_maps/txu-oclc-264266980-world_pol_2008-2.jpg