I’m supposed to be nervous for this, right?
Funny thing is, I’m not. At all. This is my first time off the continent and I can’t wait to get a move on. Other than the daunting 9 hour plane ride, I’m all grins. Thinking this a bit odd, I scouted the CAPA (and other study abroad companies) website for tips on getting the predeparture jitters.
No such luck.
Seeing a hole in the market here, I’ve decided to pounce upon the opportunity. There are plenty of emotional stages for the post arrival student, but nothing before. Thus, I present to you Alannah’s Predepature Emotional Stages for the Study Abroad Student.
- Confusion. When you first start looking to apply, it feels so simple. Go off and have an adventure. Easy right? Wrong. Where do you want to go? What do you want accomplish with your semester? Do you want to stay with a family or on your own? The questions go on and on. Once you submit what you think you want, there’s no going back, which leads us into…
- Nerves. Okay, okay. I’ll admit it. I was nervous during the process. I got caught up in my own head. The “what if” questions started popping up–more specifically what if I don’t get the internship I want? Of course I trusted the CAPA and Rollins staff, but the fear was still there. You can’t back out and besides, that would just be down right rude. I stared endlessly at the void of my Rollins email, shifting through messages from Asia Kitchen for something from CAPA. Anything (even though I knew placement wouldn’t arrive until August). Then… it came…
- Elation. This summer, I worked in special events in my hometown municipality. While setting up sun canopies and organizing storage facilities has its perks, it’s not what I would want from my study abroad internship. You can imagine my excitement when the email floated into my mailbox. For those more unimaginative of you, I fell out of my chair. With all that happy energy, you will go wild. Call your family, call your friends, call your enemies, call your dog. Call everyone to tell them the news. But who you didn’t call was the shops to warn them that you’re clearing out the store for you adventure. Hey big spender, calm down, and get ready for
- Fear. This is it. The big kicker. Will all that junk you bought fit in one large suitcase and one carry-on? No. Probably not. But hey, by this point the visa application is over and nothing will compare to the true terror of waiting for your passport to come back. Try rolling your clothes or grab a younger sibling to sit on the suitcase until it closes. Maybe you don’t need six pairs of shoes, your rock collection, and your full Batman suit after all. Or maybe you’re just
- Tired. Now I’m really making stuff up as I am still in stage three (maybe 3.5, but I haven’t exactly started packing yet), but I’m guessing I’ll probably get pretty sleepy. Not from the emotional stages as you might expect, but rather from the overall bubble of excitement. This is probably an excellent thing as the plane trip over is going to be longer than Dumbledore’s beard.
Basically it can all be boiled down to a mess of happy confusion, but that’s what this time is. I’m glad I’m not afraid as it gives me more time to revel in the excitement.
Am I missing something? Are you also excited to get lost in your destination city? What should I look for in London? Let me know in the comments and I’ll see you in September!