Well it seems as though I leave in just over a week, and I can’t believe how fast the summer has gone by! I am so excited to start my next big adventure that I am already having restless nights in preparation for my departure next Tuesday. I often find myself lying in bed thinking of all the things I don’t want to forget to pack, so much so that I even started keeping track of things in a notebook that I leave on my bedside table where I can write down everything as it comes to me in the middle of the night!

The list goes on and on…it seems like a lot but I just want to be sure I am extra prepared and don’t end up stranded without something I need. I have also begun the packing process, and I am proud to say I have whittled down everything to fit into one large suitcase, with a little extra room for souvenirs on the return trip. I remember being a small child running around on family vacations with a huge suitcase that was always SO heavy! Over the years I have perfected my packing technique to be tight and orderly so I can manage to carry everything on my own without getting tired, but hopefully I won’t have to drag my suitcase around too much while abroad. I hate sticking out like a tourist, even if that is what I am!

I am a little bit apprehensive to go abroad because although it won’t be my first time in Europe, it will be my first time completely alone! I anticipate that my host culture in the UK will be friendly and inviting, but I’m sure it will take me a bit to get used to the change in pace and lifestyle that goes along with being so far from home. To be honest, I am not sure what to expect but I know that whatever happens I will embrace it with open arms! I am more excited than anything to finally be out on my own, meet new people, and experience the world from another point of view.

The one thing that I am not looking forward to, but am expecting none the less, is the famed UK rain! I don’t really mind the rain, and as an Oregonian I am certainly used to it, but I definitely prefer the sweet summer sunshine to the constant drizzle of fall, winter, and spring. After all, my name is Summer!

Well, that is all I have for now but I will be sure to check in again in just over a week when I arrive in London!

Good luck with your own adventures!

Much love, Summer