Ireland
Packing Process
Clothes are thrown over the bed in a mess. Shoes, bags, and jackets scatter the floor. Electronics, make-up, scarves, and more.
The packing process is full of stages. Disaster might be one.
The guest room of our house looks like the remnants of a battle…between everything I own.
For someone with slight OCD, packing is always stressful. But packing for 6 months of living and travelling, during three different seasons, well that turns into something entirely different.
I procrastinated packing for so long. Like a teenager puts off a project until the night before. But I knew that I couldn’t do all of this last minute.
With little room, I have to think so carefully about what I’m taking, what I’ll wear, what I’ll use. But the process of packing just makes me that much more excited about the adventure itself.
In a few days, I’ll be in Ireland.
Of course I’m nervous. But I’m super excited. This is the chance of a lifetime. I’m looking forward to living in Waterford and studying at their amazing university. Study abroad is a great opportunity.
First, I’ll have to get through the flights, something I am definitely not looking forward to. Especially being sick.
I’m going to miss my family, my friends, and the climbing gym I work and climb at. They have all made and changed my life in so many ways. This trip will allow me to grow as a person for the better, to learn exactly who I am and who I want to be. And I can’t wait to see what is ahead of me.
Thanks to technology, I’ll be in touch through every way possible.
May the road rise up to meet ya.
From
JH
Welcome
Hi –
My name is Julie Huff, and welcome to my blog.
I am a student, rock climber, avid reader, movie fanatic, and hopeful world traveler.
At least, that’s my usual tagline for social media and things. But can any one person be simplified by a few select phrases?
I love learning, about many different things. I enjoy the classics, whether it’s Shakespeare and Jane Austen, or more modern through the infamous Breakfast Club. I am a rock climber and hiker, often seeking adventure somewhere in the outdoors. And this next big change in my life is my attempt to become a worldlier person. I have always wanted to travel the world. And my opportunity came.
For my next semester of university, I will be living and studying in Waterford, Ireland. This is a once in a lifetime experience to immerse myself in another culture, learn and travel all at once.
And I couldn’t be more terrified or excited.
But that’s the best part of my adventure. Change isn’t something that comes easily to our human nature. We all seem to want to resist it. But fear is what makes something exciting, conquerable. That’s what climbing has taught me.
As Vanessa Redgrave quotes in a movie I love: “’What’ and ‘If’ are two words as non-threatening as words can be. But put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: What if? What if?” (Letters to Juliet, 2010).
Well, I didn’t want to be haunted by those words. And this was my chance to overcome my fears, and make a big change. Hopefully you are here because you are interested in my journey, or you just enjoy travel and the wonders of the world. I hope to provide all of that. It’ll be an intriguing ride for all of us as I find my way in a new place, both online and in the world.
From JH