Tomorrow starts the biggest adventure I have ever taken to date. Tomorrow, I will leave for Cambridge, England, where I will spend the next nine months studying and traveling and experiencing life in another country. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. I've been waiting for this day for the past year and a half. And now it's finally here.
I've had my bags packed for over a week (which, for those of you who know me, is astonishing). I've had my passport and visa ready for a month, and I've got my classes all picked out and ready to go. And I still can't believe that I'm leaving the country tomorrow. I guess it won't seem real until I set foot in England.
People have asked why I would want to spend an entire year abroad as opposed to a semester. "Won't you get homesick?" and "Wow, you're so brave!" are the common comments I've received. For some people, I guess it would be natural to get homesick, and that staying away from home for so long is a huge step. For me, there was no question about the choice between four months and nine months. I choose to stay in England so long because there is so much I want to see and experience that could not be compressed into just four months. I want the complete experience of living somewhere else where I can make my own life.
I will split my time between the Valparaiso University Study Center in Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University. The Study Center offers some of the classes I need to fulfill some general education requirements, and Anglia Ruskin offers classes to fulfill requirements for my English major. I am excited (and nervous) to see what the education system is like and how that compares to Valpo.
I'll post as often as I can to let you all know how I'm doing and what I've experienced. I would appreciate any travel suggestions and insights anyone has to share about their favorite places in the United Kingdom and Europe. Thank you in advance for your prayers!
Stephanie
