Well
it’s time to jump on the blogging bandwagon, so to speak, and to begin
chronicling what I have a pretty good feeling will turn out to be the summer of
a lifetime. So many incredible things are about to happen that I refuse to let
them become wisps of a faded memory drifting through my mind. I intend to take
every memory, every experience, every adventure, and chisel them into
immortality through the written word. Sounds a little bit intense for a blog, I
know, but I’m not leaving anything to chance when it comes to a summer I have dreamed
of and anticipated for years.
It
has been my goal to go on the journey that will soon begin ever since I was
fourteen years old and saw the “London Calling” pamphlet in the Office of
International Programs at Southern Miss. Since the first moment I hugged that
pamphlet to my chest six years ago I have had a goal that has driven me to become
every bit of who I am today. I was driven to start working summer jobs in high
school and to put all of my earnings into a savings account, to repeatedly take
the ACT in order to get the score I needed for a grant from the state, to
attend The University of Southern Mississippi because of the outstanding Study Abroad programs offered
there, and to acquire an outside job once in college on top of my 19+ hour
semesters in order to continue saving my money. I was even driven to finally
declare my major in the subject I have always loved—English—and now all the
years of working, hoping, and anticipating have culminated in the reality of
studying abroad in London. The dream isn’t just a pamphlet in my hands
anymore—it’s a passport, a plane ticket, and a reality with my name on it.
I
have filled up five journals cover to cover in my lifetime, but this is sure to
be my greatest journal yet. It is the first electronic journal I have ever
kept, and for the first time ever
outsiders are being allowed into the mind of Michelle. Scary? For you, probably.
Exhilarating? Well, let us hope so. On
June 19th I board a plane for Helsinki, Finland and by the evening
of June 20th my feet will finally be touching European soil. From
there I will go to London, Bath, Canterbury, Scotland, Poland, and quite
possibly Sweden and Germany. So buckle up tight and welcome to the journey,
folks.
Europe,
here I come!
You go girl!!! Literally ;-) This is a great intro to what I'm sure will be a wonderful blog. I'm officially blog stalking you, and I look forward to reading all about your adventures. Love ya sis!
ReplyDeleteAwesome!! I, too, look forward to reading all about your adventures!! This is so great that modern technology makes it possible for my daughters to keep online journals as they venture out into the world.
ReplyDeleteWatch out Europe, here she comes!! :D ♥ Mom
Wait---What??? You're going to Europe? When?
ReplyDeleteAwesome indeed!! It sounds like you have all of your travel plans pretty much in order and you are ready to go. Have a great trip and please pass along our best regards to our distant reletives in Poland.
ReplyDeleteLove, Grandma & Grandpa
Hahaha, thank you for your lovely comments everyone!!! This makes me incredibly happy to see my fambily is all on board :) Yes indeed, modern technology is awesome! And Dad, doesn't it always feel like you're the last to know anything? ;) And Grandma and Grandpa-- I will surely tell everyone in Poland you said hi!!! Thank you sooo much for being the biggest reason the Poland part of my trip has been made possible :) :)
ReplyDeleteI second Marie. I'm totally blog stalking you!! Great job, Michelle! I hope my dream of studying abroad in London will come true for me too.
ReplyDelete