Leading up to my departure to London, I was feeling unexpectedly calm. I wasn’t my usually anxious and constantly worried self, and I actually started to get worried that I wasn’t worried (I’m weird, I know). I was incredibly ready to start my adventure and do all the things I’ve always said I wanted to do.
I was so excited to finally be going to the place I have loved from afar for so long. I was excited to see the place where Harry Potter actually took place, to see where Jane Austen grew up and wrote some of my favorite books, and where Shakespeare’s plays were performed. So, because of all my nerdy excitement, I spent the month leading up to my departure rereading all of Jane Austen’s novels and Harry Potter.
I was leaving a week earlier than required by my program so my sister and I could travel around before I started to get settled into a routine with school work and my internship, so I spent the days leading up to my departure thinking of last minute places we needed to visit. I was so excited about having the opportunity to visit all the nerdy places like the filming locations of Downton Abbey and Pride and Prejudice, the Jane Austen museum in Bath, and The Elephant House, where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter, with my sister who would appreciate it almost as much as I would.
I spent every waking minute that I wasn’t planning with my family and my friends. I ate at my favorite restaurants (definitely got some Texas Roadhouse because their rolls are amazing) and did all my favorite things to do at home like going on target runs with my friends and hitting up our favorite coffee shop and bookstore. All in all, despite because sad about leaving people behind, I was too excited about visiting my dream city to worry about it for too long. I feel so incredibly lucky to be able to have this experience and I cannot wait to experience as much of London, the UK, and Europe as I can while I am here.