Pre- departure anxiety.

Alright, first post. Here it goes...

It is currently 10:00 p.m. here in Illinois – on the night before my departure to London – and I am relieved to say that I have finally reached a level of clarity. For the past week I have been stressed out of my mind trying to tie everything together, but as of five minutes ago my checklist is complete. 

The biggest problem I thought I was going to run into was packing. Not that I am an avid traveler, but on my small trips to Florida I would always tend to over-pack. According to American Airlines, over-packing is worthy of punishment. To check a second bag on the airplane would have cost me a whopping $70.00. Do you realize all the other things I could be doing with $70.00 in Europe? That right there may be my ticket to Paris! But seriously...packing four months of clothes, shoes and accessories in one bag sounds impossible for anyone. 

But I did it. 

Before: 

After: 

(A special thanks to Kevin and Becky Monahan for the GIGANTIC suitcase and travel tips! ) 

With packing out of the way, there wasn't much left for me to do today besides organize my itinerary, spend time with my mother, and work on getting the butterflies out of my stomach– or should I say my head. 

Unfortunately, I developed a nauseating headache this afternoon. Every time I would get up, I found myself unable to walk in a straight line. I was dizzy, cold, and uncomfortable. What if I was coming down with something the night before my trip? Just my luck, I thought. But by the time I got into the car for dinner, Becky assured me it was probably just some travel anxiety. She said she gets it all the time. 

I don't know if it was so much anxiety, but definitely nervousness. My trip to London had always seemed so far away. No matter how much time had passed, the feeling of actually leaving my life here never fully set in. I'll admit, no matter how excited I am, I am definitely nervous. How could I not be? I am moving to a different country, changing schools, eating different foods, completely living on my own dime, and on top of all of that I have to worry about making new friends! 

But even though I am nervous, I have never been more anxious or excited for anything in my entire life. Everyone keeps telling me "Katie, you are going to have the time of your life. Enjoy every minute of it," and that is exactly what I plan on doing. I am ready to start a new adventure...it has been a while since I have had one, and I think this one has come at the perfect time. 

London, here I come!