Pre-Travel Thoughts and the Six Things I Still Have to Buy

With seven days to go, it seems like everything I do has something to do with my impending travels. 

Between calling various companies to let them know I'm leaving the country, and staring at all of my shoes trying to decide which ones will be waterproof enough to accompany me on this journey, this whole study abroad adventure is becoming more and more real as the days go by.

And as my preparations continue, I've realized just how much there is that I still have to do. Luggage remains a looming  and weighty project (pun intended), as my suitcase can only weigh up to 50 pounds while still containing four months worth of wearable  and usable material. And it all goes beyond just packing too--there are still a lot of things to prep for; most of which will involve digging through the bargain bin and clearance rack for lightweight and useful items. A waterproof and warmer coat is first thing on my list, followed by some taller socks, something to waterproof my boots with, a lighter suitcase (yes I still have to but my actual suitcase), more leggings, and some sort waterproof messenger bag, all of which probably should have been purchased sooner than a week before departure. There is also the matter of making sure my phone is equipped to travel. I'll be picking up a SIM card over in England, one that will give me a new number but won't skyrocket my phone bill.

Just staring at that list adds to my worries about getting everything done on time. Combine that with the realization that I will be in a different country for four months and the recent Air Asia crash, and my nerves are pretty understandable. And while I will have easy ways of contacting people back home (and flying United), it's still feeling insane that in a less than a week I'll be packing up what I can carry and taking off to a foreign place (hopefully for a grand adventure full of new and exciting experiences). 

I've realized that the world will continue to spin in my hometown, as well as at Concordia, which will hopefully mourn my absence for a semester (but not too much). But that doesn't mean that I won't be sad that I'll be missing out on things at home. At least when I was at Concordia home was less than two hours away. Now there will be an eight hour time difference, and I can't just pop home for a quick weekend and church visit. It's not really the distance I'm worried about though--I like to think I've always had a bit of a traveler's heart, because my willingness and drive to meet new people and see other places has always been rather high--more the fact that despite my best intentions, people will grow and change and I won't be there to see it. Children will grow up, people will move, my sister may dye her hair a new color; and I won't be there to witness it. That's the scariest part I think, that for four months any change or activity that happens in Escondido (or Concordia for that matter) I won't get to be a part of. And that scares me a bit, because as I like to be in the thick of things. Involvement is important to me, so I guess what I'll need to do in England is get involved. Make my own change.

England itself has always seemed like some sort of fantasy land to me, filled with castles and fairy tales. It was the magical home of Harry Potter and Hogwarts, the mystery-filled sniffing ground of Sherlock Holmes, and the historical playing ground of centuries worth of kings and queens. And I'm going to get to explore it.

However, it won't be all traipsing about the country and climbing castle stairwells (though that is on the agenda). I'll be there for the primary purpose of learning--three courses to be exact, that will be taught to me over the course of about eight (ish) weeks. My primary course will be Shakespeare, where I'll be reading everything from Richard III, to Love's Labours Lost, to Othello. All in all I'll be reading seventeen different plays and writing papers about each of them. My math-loving sister groaned when she heard this, but it's something that I'm actually looking forward to. Papers I can handle.

My other two courses will be just as exciting. A non-fiction creative writing course I'll be taking as a prerequisite for more minor related classes when I return, and a course I got to 'design' for myself. This third class I've taken to calling Literature of Astronomical Mythology (or in more succinct and less eloquent terms, I'm going to get to read about space themed lore, hopefully focused on Greek mythology). 

The tutorial system for all of that in England works a lot like an independent study course here. I'll be meeting one on one with a professor who is a master in whatever field my course focuses on about once a week, and in between each meeting I'll be writing papers for our discussion on the subject, exploring each piece in depth through my own writing. 

When I stop and think about it, it can seem a little bit overwhelming. And yet, I'm not worried about the academic part. Not really. I'm confident in my ability to get things done efficiently and intelligently, and I'm very much aware of the time commitment it will take to get this done. I've also decided that I'll be joining an organization over there. Something that will help me meet more people over there and take advantage of the resources Oxford has to offer. But first I have to make Oxford seem less like a story I'm telling and more like something real that is actually happening to me.

And starting this blog is officially making it seem very real, with the additionally perk of also making it seem a little bit more like I'm somewhat prepared for this trip. Writing is familiar ground for me, so starting this blog and transcribing my experience is going to make everything a little bit easier. Or at least I hope so. This could be a good chance to give everyone back home a peek at what I'm up to and how I'm feeling, which will hopefully help with the distance and, yes, the change.

So I invite everyone, whether you had plans to follow me on my journey or not, to come adventuring with me. To see the things I see and learn as I do. There's a big world out there, and the fact that I'm going to get to explore even of a fraction of it is incredible. So here's to a travel-filled 2015, and a four month adventure that will hopefully give me my own story book adventure.

Happy travels!

Sam