Perched on the Edge

Standing on the sandstone cliff edge, gazing at the cold blue water far below. Mind whirling, should I jump? Will the positives outweigh the negatives? Trying not to think too much about it, I jump. Once in the air, there is no turning back. Now that is about the feeling I have right now-- both excited for the plunge and terrified of the jump.

As the final count down begins I have had to buckle down and really start packing. As you can see in this picture, my packing method is messy. Staring at my overpacked bag, the questions "why did I do this" and "what have I gotten myself into" are bouncing around in my head.  This time last year I decided to look into the possibility of studying abroad; so I visited my advisor. Once I realized that academically speaking, education abroad could become a reality, I decided to look into the financial side. I'm going to be straight forward with you. Study Abroad is expensive, but if you work hard and apply to All scholarships you can find, then the price tag is far less intimidating. While applying to all of the scholarship-- essay entry after essay entry-- I kept in mind my goal for studying abroad in Morocco. The driving force is that I wanted to continue learning the language that I fell in love with-- Arabic. Al Akhawayn University provides formal Arabic instruction as well as the ability to pursue cultural immersion.

The cultural immersion itself does not make me nervous; in fact, I am ready for the challenge. However, what does scare me is the idea of being alone in a foreign country for the first time. Yes, you read that correctly, I have never traveled alone nor been outside of the United States. As I get closer to lift-off, the nerves get stronger. At moments like these, I keep in mind that life is a learning experience. Whether you succeed or fail, you will learn important life lessons. Taking calculated life risks is terrifying and invigorating. In the end, I believe this study abroad experience will be extremely beneficial because I will come back with new thoughts, experiences, and hopefully a better understanding of Morocco and their use of Arabic.

One tip of advice to calm the nerves before you leave take a quick trip with your significant other, friends, or family. I personally went for a weekend to Colorado with my boyfriend where we river-rafted, hiked, and browsed art galleries.