In a few short days I will be traveling to Australia for a semester abroad, and I could not have more emotions rushing through me at once!

First off, I feel anxious. Anxious mostly about not having my close friends and family members close to me. Whenever I've traveled I've had them by my side, so I never felt far away from the familiar.

Secondly, I feel nervous. Nervous about being in a school system that's not familiar to me, and the dooming feeling that I won't be able to keep up with the other students! I know in the back of my head that I am a good student, and even if I'm not the top of my class I know how to work hard, I set achievable goals, and I am able to manage myself efficiently. Deep down I know I should do just fine while abroad, but I'm still nervous about everything that's going to be completely new to me...and until I finally feel adjusted I'm just accepting and acknowledging this discomfort. And that's OK!

However, along with my uneasy feelings about traveling abroad, I also have some happier ones!

I feel honored to be the first in my family to have the opportunity to spend a semester in another country. My mom was the first in her family to go to college, and now I'm the first to leave the country to continue my college education. I also feel honored that my home school was able to work with me throughout the years to make this upcoming semester possible.

I also feel excited with the prospect of making new friends, exploring wildlife, and of course all the awesome spontaneous experiences I'm about to encounter!

However, making new friends isn't an easy task. Add that on top of starting over in a new place with no one I can call a friend...that's scary! However, it's also a way in which I plan to challenge myself so I'm able to grow, and push myself to step outside of my comfort zone.

While abroad in Australia, I'll also be living off the coast of an ocean! Now coming from someone who has only swam in an ocean twice in her twenty one years on this planet, being this close to an ocean is a big deal! Along with the perk of living so close to an ocean I'll also be able to see so many colorful birds, fish, and hopefully see a whale. :)

Finally, I'm going to have a once in a lifetime chance to test myself, and prove to me (my hardest critic) how much I am able to accomplish while outside of my academic, social, and professional comfort zone. I'm not one to fully place everything that happens in my life to chance, but I do believe everything that happens in our life happens for a reason, alongside our own will. This chance for me to study abroad at this time in my life is perfectly timed... and I know it's meant to be, and that I'm ready.