This semester, I'm taking the opportunity of a lifetime and studying abroad in London. I am extremely excited but also nervous at the idea of living in another country for three months. Luckily for me, I have a handful of amazing friends coming along, and I know we're going to have the time of our lives. As I'm sure you can imagine, the weeks leading up to departure have been filled with many last minute preparations; however, I'm beginning to realize that no matter how hard you try, you can never feel 100% prepared to jet off on an adventure like this.

For example, remember when you were younger and you would wake up abruptly from your sleep because of a nightmare? Well, that happened to me last week. In my dream, I arrived at the airport right on time and ready to go; however, I noticed that my suitcase felt oddly light. So, I opened it up right there in the airport lobby and realized that it was empty. The dream version of myself had completely forgotten to pack a single item of clothing for an entire semester abroad. Needless to say, the next morning I got up and started the packing process.

Speaking of packing, it doesn't matter how mentally prepared you think you are to willingly live out of a suitcase for three months...you're not. Or, at least, I'm not. At first, I didn't hold back. I laid out every item that I might need, and desperately tried to stuff it in a suitcase and hope it didn't weigh over 50 pounds. After I got that out of my system and realized some of my beloved clothing has to stay at home, my mom and I diligently sat aside unnecessary items and figured out just how many ways you can style the exact same pair of black skinny jeans. Packing for three months in another country in one 50 pound suitcase and a backpack is intimidating, but it's doable -- even for someone like myself with the incurable tendency to over-pack.

Now let's talk about the money aspect of studying abroad. The price of living in London is a lot higher than that of Nashville. I know, shocker. But did you know that restaurant prices alone are approximately 30% more expensive in the United Kingdom than in the United States? Who needs food? Not me. (That is such a lie. I'll probably eat some delicious, significantly overpriced pastry as soon as we land.) Regardless, saving up for studying abroad is a big deal. I've worked two jobs over the summer with the knowledge that I will come home in December with exactly $0 to my name. That's okay though because I am a firm believer in buying experiences, especially if that means getting to visit as many different European countries as possible on three day weekends.

In my opinion, the hardest preparation for a semester abroad is saying goodbye to friends and family that are staying home. Fortunately, the study abroad groups leave about two weeks after normal classes resume, which gives a bit of time to see everyone and spend time with friends on campus before departure. Even so, there simply aren't enough hours in a day to spend adequate time with everyone you love before leaving. I wish you could see my planner right now. In the span of two weeks, I'm having lunch or dinner or coffee with what feels like everyone on my contacts list. It would probably be easier if I had just stayed in my room during freshman orientation and made less friends. (Kidding, of course.) In the words of Winnie the Pooh, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

Ultimately, like everything in life, you can prepare all you want, but you'll probably never feel as prepared as you wish you were. So when you're boarding that flight for a semester abroad, or just deciding to do something outside your comfort zone on campus, know that you may not feel prepared, but you are. Sometimes you just have to trust that brilliant adventures are waiting for you the moment you touch down and decide to go do incredible things.