Today, I am on my way to the small
city of St. Gallen, Switzerland, nestled in the Alps and just a skip, hop, and
jump away from Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein. The city rests among
lush hills by a glassy lake and the local library is a UNESCO world heritage
site. I imagine that when walking around campus between classes, I'll
gaze down on the center of town and try pointlessly to catch a glimpse of my
apartment among the dense mass of quaint buildings. The air smells . . . stale and feels . . . dusty. Wait,
that's not right.
Unfortunately, I am not in
Switzerland yet. Instead, I’m in a United States Post Office where the air is
most definitely stale and dusty. But
despite the less than exotic location, my heart pounds in anticipation of what
is to come. Today I am taking the first step on my journey to St. Gallen. I’m taking that big ole step right up
to the post office counter, which is actually kind of intimidating in the face
of the disgruntled workers, and I am mailing my visa application – certified
and all – to the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C. And then I’ll have
to wait, anxiously, until my visa is mailed to me. The jittery, nervous, but
terribly excited tangled mess sitting in my stomach is something akin to the
anticipation a child feels while waiting for a parent to sign a permission slip
for an adventurous field trip. That’s
what study abroad is at its core – the field trip of a lifetime!
As a passionate lover of
languages, avid traveler, and voracious reader of any sort of literature that
transports me to another world, I’m already carving out a special place in my
memory in preparation for all that I’m about to learn. If you would do the same, I
would love to invite you to share the adventure of this coming semester with
me. Only so much can be communicated through words and pictures but I intend to
immerse you in the wonders of St. Gallen as best I can.
Now that you have
(hopefully) opted to join me on this crazy journey, I guess I should let you
know a little more about me. I hail from Richmond, Virginia and am in my second
year at the University of South Carolina but plan on graduating next May.
Outside of academia, I dedicate my time to giving back to the Carolina
community that has already given so much to me by serving as Press Secretary on
the Student Government communications team and Pledge mom for Sigma Omega
Upsilon International Business Fraternity. I love sailing, all aspects of
language, a good book paired with a rainy day, steaming cups of black coffee,
and exploring the great outdoors. I
hope that I will be able to both expand and expound upon these interests while
abroad. As we discover Switzerland
together this coming spring, please feel free to comment on my posts. I’d love to receive feedback and
answer any questions you may have.
Thus far, the time leading
up to my semester in Switzerland has been, to be honest, quite stressful. Between visa applications, managing
housing, pre-departure orientation, all the forms, and everything else –
Switzerland seems even farther away than it already is. However, after I handed that envelope
to the surprisingly pleasant attendant at the post office, the stress melted
away. Now I have taken the
first step to Switzerland. We have taken the first step – the
first step on an unforgettable, unimaginable, breath-taking adventure.
*Please note that this was written in November 2014 when I was going
through the visa application process but I wanted to post it now anyway as I
thought it was a good place to start!
