Hello!!! Welcome to my first blog post! I will be travelling to Vienna on Wednesday, July 31st. In these last few days, I have felt like I am ready to leave at any second. I am one to get things done proactively and therefore have already packed everything I need (aside from daily-use items). I have all my necessary documents copied and packed, got my hair cut and planned my entire outfit for the airport.

I have been experiencing a lot of anxiety over the aspects I cannot prepare for and wanted to share some things that have brought me back to a place of excitement instead of just fear:

• MONEY. I am so nervous about running out of money abroad. I started saving in the Fall of 2018, but paying for things like tuition and loans empties one’s bank account real quick. I am lucky and privileged enough to have parents and other family members to contribute to my study abroad funds, but making my own money while away at school has made me reluctant to ask for help. One way I will be earning money while abroad is through blogging! I was chosen to receive a scholarship from my program, Brethren Colleges Abroad. There are so many opportunities to apply for scholarships when studying abroad whether through your specific program or outside organizations. The following website has tons of information about studying abroad, scholarships and even how to work while abroad! https://www.gooverseas.com/
• AIR TRAVEL. This is not my first or even second time travelling internationally. I have a lot of experience with airports and flying, yet it still keeps me up at night to think about being on a plane. I have never traveled alone, which is the main source of my air travel anxiety. To keep myself sane while in transit to Vienna, I have a few things I am making sure to pack in my carry-on. One essential for me is the phone app Insight Timer. This is a meditation app that has guided meditations for sleep, stress and, you guessed it, travel! I am planning to download a few meditations to listen to during my time at the airport and on the plane. In addition, I have a book, journal and colorful pens, sudoku to keep my mind busy and motion sickness medicine that will hopefully make me drowsy enough to knock out for a few hours. I also plan to let a flight attendant know this is my first time travelling alone. Just having someone else know your situation can help immensely.
• FOOD. I will not have a meal plan while abroad. This means I will need to purchase groceries and cook my own food. I have been preparing by cooking a LOT this summer and learning how to meal-prep. I also eat a plant-based diet (I like to say 98% vegan). This makes eating out more difficult, especially in places like Austria and Germany where meat is a staple of each country’s cuisine. However, I LOVE grocery shopping and am actually pretty excited to do so. I am just not sure when I will be able to go once I arrive and how many vegan options will be available. I use a site called HappyCow that is great for people who want to find vegetarian and vegan options when eating out! Hopefully I will be able to post about my favorite vegan places and recipes that I discover while abroad. 🙂

There are many more intricacies that are worrying me about living abroad, but the three discussed above are what has been popping up most in my mind. I have to keep reminding myself that I am not the first person to have this experience. Thousands and thousands of students have lived abroad and survived. Although I am the only student from my university going on my program this fall, I am not the only student going on this program from the United States. Also, thank goodness for the internet. It makes finding sources for scholarships, packing tips, cheap recipes, international phone information, public transportation and anything you could think of so accessible.

I have no doubt that this semester will fly by and I would much rather spend it living in the moment than worrying about things that I know will work themselves out. Hopefully I gave some helpful pre-departure resources and made it obvious that if you are preparing to go abroad, you are not alone in your fears!

I will check back in when I am in Austria! Thanks for reading! Bis bald!