Leaving is HARD

Okay, so this goes out to anyone who has ever though about, thinking about, committed to go, or getting ready to go study abroad in another country. It is hard. Like terrifying actually. This morning my dad and I sat in a ton of traffic in Los Angeles (go figure), and by the time I was at the airport, I couldn't believe it.

Rewind. Last night, I got NO sleep. It sucked. It's one of those things where you know you are going to be so jet lagged by the time you get to your final destination, that getting plenty of sleep before you go is crucial. Well, unfortunately I know how I am, and sleep isn't a thing before traveling somewhere like the Netherlands.

So, here I am at LAX. After a ton of traffic, struggling to find parking spot so my dad could walk me in, the airport seemed dead! There was no line to check my bag, and it took like two seconds. Well really more like two minutes. But after I checked my bag, that's when I had a hard time. Saying goodbye to my dad, my best friend, was so difficult. I cried, not going to lie. But it is one of those things where you just say, "okay, I will see you in April!" Because he is visiting in April.

After the tough goodbye, I put on my big girl pants, and walked to security. After zipping through security like nobody's business, my gate was right there. And an empty black seat was calling my name.

My whole life I have traveled with my parents. After their divorce back in 2010, I began to do things on my own, like flying to Flagstaff and Los Angeles by myself. It didn't seem like a big problem.

But when you think about it, when you go to college, you are so used to living with your parents until you are 17 or 18 years old. By the time you move out to go to college, you are more than excited to go out, explore what it's like, learn new things, meet new people, and so on.

For me, I got stuck in this everyday routine. I was living with Alex, going to school, my career path is on point, and then it came to a screeching halt! So, it is hard, i'm not going to lie. But for me, I am a very independent person; so of course it is hard for me to leave, but it is something I have always wanted to do.

So, for those of you who are planning on, wanting to, or getting ready to go study abroad, just remember, your home will always be there. It might not be a 7 hour drive, but it's there. Your family is only a Skype call or Facebook message away.

As I am writing this long, sloppy piece of work, I keep thinking how I wouldn't change going to study in Breda for the world. So, do it. And you can't look back. Put on your big girl, or boy pants, and do it.