Just plain EXCITED

            Everything is pretty much packed and sitting in my parent’s formal dining room waiting for one o’clock Saturday to hurry up and get here.  I really only have one concern about the trip, TRAINS SCHEDULES.  I have traveled every way possible except by train so it is a little daunting.  I know once I’ve done it a couple of times it will be cake but it’s just that unknown factor that is scary.  

            There are a few things that I’m going to miss during our four week whirlwind trip across Germany.  First, much to my sister’s dismay, I will be missing her High School Graduation.  Her dismay was not about me not being there for a momentous occasion in her life. It is that “it isn’t fair that she had to sit through two of my graduations and that I will not have to sit through her graduation.” I do feel really bad about it and have decided that will get her a nice gift from somewhere over in Europe.  Next I’m going to miss not having to pay to go to the bathroom or for a glass of water! I guess we Americans are just spoiled when it comes to stuff like that.  Finally, I will miss my pets that have provided many laughs and love when I needed it to most.

            I cannot believe that our trip starts in just in just TWO DAYS, it feels like so long ago that we filled out the initial paper work.  See you in Germany!

Two Days!!

I can't believe that the time is finally here! In two days, I will depart on a trip to take me farther away from home than I have ever been before. My interest in study abroad trips started in undergrad when I spent a month in Belize, but it was nothing compared to what we're in for. The plane ride was only an hour and a half, the native language was English, and they were still in the Central time zone! It was so easy to adjust, and I know for a fact things will be vastly different for this trip. With the exception of Belize, I have never been outside of the US, and I haven't really traveled from Texas that much in general. I've been to Florida 4 times, flying 3 and driving at night the 4th. The Frio River is the farthest west I have ever been and, sadly, Dallas is as far north. So this is a huge change for me, and I am super excited! Hopefully, all of my stresses of making sure we catch trains, find our hotels, etc will eventually ease up as we get settled in Germany, even though I know we're up against a hectic (yet fun!) schedule.

And so it begins

After traveling abroad before I understand the culture shock and language barrier I am about to experience. However, I feel as though I am woefully unprepared. There are still so many more things to do even though my flight leaves less than 3 days from now.
As the final preparations fall in to place I begin to grasp the sheer amount of traveling I am about to do. Between traveling all around Germany I will be going to Italy, the Czech Republic, France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom all within a five week window! It sounds crazy when I list everything off and even crazier when I realize that all of the traveling will mean little sleep for me. Coming out of an insane first year of vet school the last thing I need is less sleep. But it will all be worth it in the end!
I am very excited about getting the opportunity to see new places, make new friends, and visit family. Truly this will be an experience to remember!

It's almost time!

As I make the final preparations for departure, I am excited and overwhelmed at the same time! I have never been away from home for this long, and this is also the first time I have left the United States (I've never even been to Mexico, and I've lived in Texas my whole life!). I am SO excited thinking of all the places we will visit - Germany (of course), Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, and Ireland. I don't know what to expect, but I definitely think it will be the experience of a lifetime!

That's all for now, but I know my posts will get progressively longer once we arrive! Now I'm off to get my reading material for the longest flight I've ever been on (The Hunger Games series! Can't wait!).

Panic Attacks

I keep fluctuating between pure ecstasy and utter panic.  I am so very excited to be going to Europe.  I can't believe I'm going to be in another country, another continent, for 6 weeks.  I'm going to be visiting to all the places I've always dreamed of going.  I'm going to be away from my puppies and my friends and my family and my new boyfriend for 6 weeks.
It's a dilemma.

I have no idea what to pack for this trip.  I am typically an over-prepared person, so narrowing down what I absolutely need.  It's exhausting.

I'm just so very happy that finals are over and that we will all be in Germany so soon!
It's gonna be so awesome. We will all be best friends by the time this is over!

Also, I think most people that I've talked to are on board for my idea of doing a video blog. Hopefully we can do that once a week!

Yae!

-Nats

Long road to a long flight.

Originally I wanted to take this trip last year, but wasn't sure if I'd fail out of vet school in the mean time lol, so decided to hedge my bets and take it this year.  Well the potentially ironic thing is that there's still a very bumpy road - finals week to be exact - between me and Germany.  But all will work out in the end...or that's what I keep telling myself. (I should be studying right now...)

Been a bit of a process getting there.  Some awesome people helping us out along the ways, but as MAC DVM already posted, Financial Aid has been...less than thrilling.  Should definitely get that ball rolling early.  It's very much a hurry up and wait type of thing.  Also, pay attention to scholarship deadlines.  They sneak up on you faster than you might think while you're learning about just how big a granulosa cell tumor can get in horses.  And write them down too, because my dyslexic mind transposed a dual-digit number and I missed the deadline on two scholarships by several days.

Planning for the trip has been fun, but somewhat frustrating too because, well, it's completely new.  For instance, we don't have passenger trains and what not here (at least not in this part of the country), so I know less than nothing about all of that and what needs to go into it.  But for the most part, it's fun.  In fact, it might be a bit too fun because often I've found myself scoping out locations in Germany rather than studying.  However, I've also found myself cleaning my room, alphabetizing my bookshelf (in reverse order, of course), and other equally boring activities in lieu of studying, so maybe it's only relatively fun. :)

I will say that I wish I had spent more time studying German.  However, I've found it's extremely difficult to study two foreign languages at once (German and vet school vocabulary) so I can't fault it too much.  My understanding is that many speak English very well over there, so it won't be that big of a deal I'd hope.  I'm also awesome at charades, so there's that too.  But I'd much prefer my level of German to be somewhere around at least a first-grade level than what I have currently:  a few words, gestures, and grunts.  I believe 'beer' sounds the same in both languages so at least I won't go thirsty.

Not much else to say right now.  It will be a great trip with great people so I'm looking forward to it.  Certainly beats working all summer, regardless of how much my bank account disagrees.

Pre-Eurotrip/Finals Blues Blurb

18 MORE DAYS!

The pre-Eurotrip excitement has officially begun: the hostels are booked, the Eurail pass is in my hand, I have my awesome 65L hiking pack....oh yea...and 10 days of school with 6 finals thrown in between myself and the awesome, overnight flight to Frankfurt.  Sad day, but the torture will be over soon enough and then the awesomeness will begin!

THE FUN STUFF:
Overall, I am most excited about immersing myself in all the different cultures I will be surrounded with.  Trying the food, tasting the wine, taking in all the amazing history and architecture, talking to everyone I can....it seems almost overwhelming.  I hope to make some amazing, new friends while overseas that will come visit...not to mention shelter and entertain me should I ever want to return (I WILL!)

THE THINGS THAT HAVE SUCKED SO FAR:
Financial aid!!!!! Without the help of our awesome program coordinator, Joy, and Karen, in financial aid, getting funding for this trip would have been impossible.  Words of wisdom: start early. I began getting my finances in line for this trip last year so that I could have a jump on all the crazy hoops financial aid has us jump through.

THE BIG PRE-TRIP THANK YOUS:
Olivia!!!! Our AIB coordinator/German tutor is the best!  She has helped get us ready for this trip with language and culture lessons, plus lots more. Although it was sad that she had to leave, she got me really pumped for this trip even when it was ages away.
Dr. Wasser....well duh! We wouldn't be taking this trip if you didn't offer to keep doing this program every year. Oh yea, and did I mention the $1000??? Thanks for helping with the cost of this program.
TAMU CVM Dean's Office: THANK YOU!!! for the awesome scholarship donation to each person going on this journey.
AIB peoples: Thanks for coordinating all of this! This will be a once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunity that I know I will never trade for anything.
TAMU peoples: Thanks for helping bring all this together.  The nightmares of not getting financial aid to pay for this trip have stopped, and I don't feel like any of my paperwork is missing.

Anywho, that should be all the rambling for now.  Updates to come soon...since ya know, ONLY 18 DAYS LEFT!!!!