Getting ready to go

I decided to study abroad because, while I have done some international traveling, I have never had the opportunity to spend more than a week in another country. I want to be able to learn and live in a new part of the world. I’ve been in a bubble for most of my life and I have always wanted to expand my horizons and learn more about other cultures.

I think I will be changed by this experience by learning to live more in the moment and more simply. In my day to day life there is always pressure about grades, my athletic performance, co-ops, graduation and so on. I think this global experience will help me focus on the tasks of the day and eliminate the clutter that fills my mind and life. I expect to learn more about another country and the way other people live. I expect this will help me appreciate my life in the U.S as well as put certain things in perspective.

My goals abroad are to take in as much Icelandic culture as I can as well as focusing on the present. I want to get to know customs and the culture of the Icelandic people. I have never gotten to know another culture very well, so I want to be a sponge and absorb everything I can. Also, I have a bad habit of focusing too much on the future and letting small things stress me out. I am a planner, but on this trip, I want to try and let that go a bit, I don’t want my thoughts of what will happen next to keep me from missing out on what is happening in the moment.

I expect to achieve these goals with the help of my classes. The culture class I will be taking abroad will have a lot of journaling, yoga and meditation. I want to take this class seriously and really use it. Our professor will be a very helpful guide in focusing on the present. I also think out video class will help me capture and understand the Icelandic culture and environment around me. Both classes I will be taking should help me accomplish my goals for the trip.

I am a little nervous about going to a new country for such a long time. I don’t know much about Iceland or what exactly I am getting myself into, so that in itself makes me a little apprehensive. I am also a little nervous about the food. I am a bit of a picky eater so honestly, I think the food will be an interesting journey.

I am so excited to embrace the nature in Iceland. I am from Colorado and am a lover of the outdoors, so I am beyond excited to see the natural beauty of Iceland. Taking photos and videos of the country is going to be amazing.