I am officially a little over 24 hours away from hopping on a plane and heading for Paris. And yet, I feel completely unprepared. I am taking part in the UA on the Camino de Santiago trip, and for those of you who don’t know what it is, I along with 9 other students and 2 professors are going to spend the next 4 weeks walking from the south of France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. To be candid, I am terrified. I’ve never been out of the country before, let alone without my parents or family. I just finished my freshman year, and I don’t know how to be a real person on my own yet. But I remember seeing a flyer for this trip and knowing I had to go.
I’ve been training. I have all the gear I need. I know I have nothing to worry about and that I’m going to love this trip. I’m just nervous, but those nerves are a good thing. For anyone reading this who is considering going abroad, DO IT. What do you have to lose? I am hoping to not only have a better understanding of myself and who I am since I will be with myself and my thoughts for some time, but a better understanding of other people and their cultures. This is a wonderful opportunity that I know I will be forever grateful for. To anyone who may be struggling with leaving to go abroad or even with the decision to apply to go overseas, you are not alone in your trepidation. But don’t let things like that stop you. Live life. Have fun. I can’t wait to take off tomorrow.
