Small Sacrifices

Tomorrow is the big day! Now that it's officially here, I'm partially terrified. Actually, mostly terrified. After seeing all the posts on Facebook from my friends starting their classes at Central today, it really hit me that I'm about to embark on this incredible journey. It's very different from going to school two hours away from home. Which is an obvious statement, but one that I have to keep reminding myself about.

The good news is I finished packing, like, half-way through the day. Usually I'm packing stuff up until the absolute last second. But of course, there's still time for that. The biggest thing I've learned from my two day packing fest is that I'm too sentimental to choose between all of my clothes. It also doesn't help that I'm terrible at making arbitrary decisions that will likely not have an extreme impact on my future. So I had to learn to make a lot of small sacrifices in what I packed and what I didn't, and it was pretty difficult. Though if this is the most difficult thing I have to do in life, I really can't complain.

Since I'm leaving tomorrow, I'm sitting here thinking through some of the things I really want to get out of this next year. I have a tremendous opportunity to grow as a student and a global citizen, and it's important to have some idea of what I want before the adventure really starts. I mean, I will have an eight hour flight to think through some more things, but for now this is what I've come up with.

1. A degree. Which is obvious. That's the main thing I'm going for. But as I approached the end of my undergraduate career, I began to realize that I had no intention of getting a master's degree, and would rather skip ahead to my doctorate. When I applied for the Fulbright, I knew it was a long shot. I also knew it would be delaying my doctorate for another year in order to get a master's degree, but it was definitely a sacrifice I was willing to make.

2. Improve my ability to make arbitrary decisions. Like what to pack on trips like this. Or where to go to dinner. What movie to see, what shoes to buy. I'm really terrible at those kinds of decisions, mostly because I put so much value in to them. I think to myself, I could leave this shirt at home, but what if there's that one time I want to wear it? Or, if I don't by this shirt, I'll regret it forever. These thoughts are usually not true, but I get so wrapped up in them that I end up packing too much or buying said shirt even if I don't really need to.

3. Enhance my global education. This means traveling, of course, but it also means engaging with other cultures on a daily basis. I grew up in a community of people who were just like me. I went through most of my schooling in a community of people who were just like me. I'm ready to study in a place that has a wide variety of people and cultures. I'm excited to spend more time in London, one of the most diverse cities in the world, to learn more about other people and learn how to interact with them.

4. Learn how to live by myself. I've never truly lived alone. I've always had a family or roommates to keep me company. This next year, I'll truly be living by myself. I won't have anyone to say "Hey, I'm going out!" or "Do you want to grab some dinner?" to. All of my decisions (there will always be more decisions) will be up to me. It's going to be intimidating, and a little strange, but still a learning experience.

Those are the biggest things I have for now. I'm sure more ideas will pop up in my mind as I sit on the plane trying to fall asleep. I hope these posts will become more interesting, rather than me rambling about what's on my mind or how I'm trying to pack all of my stuff. I'm excited to embark on this journey tomorrow, and I can't wait to share it with everyone!