One month away. I cannot believe it! Honestly, it still hasn’t hit me that I am leaving for London and won’t be back for over three months. The main reason I haven’t been spending my days pre-packing, worrying, and overthinking is because for the first time in a while, my December is decently packed. I am currently in a production of Young Frankenstein at the Players Club of Swarthmore and we open on December 15th and our show closes December 30th. This of course means that tech week is right around the corner, so I have been a bit preoccupied. However, in my free time I have been budgeting, and trying to learn as much as I can before I leave. Since after the show closes I only have a couple days to get my things sorted.
Unfortunately, in early September I got released from my job, and I have been trying to figure out how to afford the trip I have been thinking about for a long time. I ended up finding a way to make it work, and I won’t bore you with the details. When it comes to traveling to a new place, there are a couple things to consider for budgeting. First, the most obvious, a place to live. The program I will be doing does not come with housing so I had to find some on my own. I had to consider what was important to me in housing, which was; proximity to my school, proximity to the shops, and if I felt it was safe. I found a place I really liked and I am excited to explore my new area. The second thing to consider for budgeting is transportation. When I picked my housing I liked that the place was about a 15 minute walk to campus or 16 minutes if I wanted to take the tube. This way I can save a bit of money by not always needing to use public transport. The last thing I had to consider is food, and personal expenses, which I really won’t know until I get there so I allowed a lot of leeway. With budgeting aside, I have started to get more excited (and worried that upon my return I will have no money left haha).
Honestly, if I wasn’t busy this December I would probably be spending my days packing and unpacking my bag relentlessly. My goal right now is to only take one checked bag, one carry-on suitcase, and my backpack. I am trying to pack as light as possible because honestly I don’t want to have to stomp around London with too many bags since I am just one person. However, don't worry, if you know me at all, you know that even if I am busy, I am creating packing lists in my head 24/7 and overthinking everything. So I know when it comes down to it, I will be able to pack up quickly. Although, there is always that worry about forgetting something, we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
I am so happy about my decision to do this but that doesn’t mean I am not anxious about it. One of my biggest worries is that I won’t make friends/ I’ll feel alone. Going to college was hard because I struggled with feeling alone a lot. Yes, I did make wonderful friendships but, it took a while and I am nervous that since I am only there for a couple months I will be behind. But, making friends is something I cannot prepare for so I just have to wait. I will definitely keep you all updated on that! My nervousness about the trip is mainly turning into excitement. I cannot wait to learn so much new information that will help me in the long run. I do not know how to explain it but, this feels right. It feels like I was meant to go on this trip and study in London. It’s like my life was a road always getting worked on and now the construction is clear and I can head to my destination faster. I can’t think of anything else to say but, I’M EXCITED!!!! Honestly, right now I am just counting down the days and waiting to receive my class schedule/ information from the school. Yay! Cheers to 2024!!
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