Before I leave...

Hey everyone!
As many of you may know, I will try my best to keep up with this blog while abroad this semester. I can't promise that I will post regularly or frequently, but I will post as often as I can. It is Wednesday night, and I am anxious to leave SUNDAY! The countdown is almost over! I don't think it has quite hit me yet that life is about to get a lot more interesting. I still have lots to do before i leave, but if you know me well, you know that I work best under pressure. I always say--If you wait till the last minute, it only takes a minute. My mom and I started packing last night, which was a big deal--5 days early! Unheard of! I have been really worried that I won't be able to fit everything, but compression bags are my new best friend. You should just see how little space my sheets and towels take up. It's incredible! I'm at my dad's now for 2 days, but the preparation is not put on hold. I still have lots to do including scholarship applications, summer internship applications, and lots of other odds and ends I need to take care of before my departure. I am also running in a million directions trying to see everyone before I leave. I keep telling myself that it's not that different from leaving fo Knoxville (as far as family is concerned), but the fact that I will be an ocean away vs a state away is an obvious difference. I am going to miss everyone, but I also know that I'm going to be so busy and have so much going on that I will probably be able to avoind homesickness. On another note, I am SOOO EXCITED! I cannot wait to be in Italy! I told my mom the other day, I decided I wanted to go to Italy and I've made it happen. So now, I've decided I'm going to get as much out of my experience as possible and I'm going to make it happen.

For all you Knoxvillians, I miss you already.

Love from Arkansas!