It was the night before Christmas

I'm past the age of waking up at 5am, running downstairs then back up again to wake my parents and tell them just how many presents Santa left us. But right now, I sort of feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. The only difference is this Christmas comes in September, Santa's sleigh is replaced by a 7-hour trans-Atlantic flight and the present is a 3 month journey that I will likely never forget. In less than 36 hours I'll be in Brighton, England to begin my study abroad program at the University of Brighton.

And much like Christmas morning, I sometimes thought this day would never come. Amid months and months of problem solving, planning and budgeting, I complained to my mom that I never really had time to sit back and enjoy the fact that I was going. I naively hoped that once I decided to study abroad I would simply pack my bags, board the plane and be on my way. Of course, it was not to be. Sometimes it was frustrating, sometimes it was discouraging and sometimes even downright nerve-wracking. But, I can honestly say having put my plans into action, sought answers to my questions and calmed my nerves with a shot or two of whiskey (just kidding, mom), it was all worth it. And I haven't even boarded the plane.

Fortunately for me, I'm not the only one who has been involved in this process. There are several people without whom I probably wouldn't have gotten this far. I'd like to thank my parents, my sister, my family, my friends, teammates, coaches and professors for all of their support and encouragement. 

A special thank you is due to Mark Verburg, Dr. Gordon Hull and Dr. Dan Boisvert. I would like to thank the three of you for being so incredibly understanding, patient, accommodating and enthusiastic about my plans. I can't say thank you enough and I hope you know how much your support means to me.

And at the risk of turning this into an Oscar's acceptance speech, I'm going to zip up my suitcases, print off my boarding passes, bid farewell and look forward to the next 3 months of this journey!

Be sure to check back frequently for updates and pictures of my travels!

Cynic: a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

--Oscar Wilde