One year ago today I was driving
through rural North Carolina and Virginia to Dulles International
Airport in Washington, D.C.. I was incredibly nervous and had barely
eaten for several days, partially due to anxiety and partially due to
cutting my hand open while packing the car. I was about to embark on
the longest plane ride of my life and my first trip out of the United
States.
What followed were four months in the
UK, four months that almost seem like a dream when I think back on
them now. I am very glad that I wrote this blog, even though it was a
serious pain at times to crank out three 1,000 word posts a week. The
words I spent so much time writing allow me to once again relive
those days and make the memories more substantial in my mind.
I have had so many experiences since I
wrote those words. In the past year I have gone from being a junior
to an early graduating senior. I joined a service sorority and spent
last weekend with them at the coast. This summer I had my first real
job. Now I can legally drink alcohol in the United States.
Many things changed for me while some
stayed the same, like our friendship with our English friends Beth.
Amy, Libby, Caitlin and I sent candy and postcards to Beth last
semester. This summer we all received packages of “sweets” in
return.
Maoams, Cadbury chocolate and tea cakes. All lovely reminders
of our time abroad. She is hoping to take a grand tour of the United
States in a few years and hopefully we will see her then.
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After reading a few of my posts, there are a few questions I might be able to answer/ new experiences to relate:
Caitlin, Libby and I still have not had a full Lord of the Rings marathon to educate Amy. We have only made it through The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.
I still have not managed to read The Hobbit or get any farther in the Harry Potter series than book 5 even though I told myself I would read them when I got back from England.
Libby found mold in our dorm room for this year and we were afraid of a K1 repeat but thankfully it got fixed quickly.
