Arrivederci, America!

Welcome to a blog unlike anything you've ever seen before!!! Ok, ok, so while that is probably not the case, welcome anyway! This blog will document my semester of studying, traveling, eating, and otherwise adventure-ing in Europe. I will be based in Siena, Italy, a beautiful little city in northern Tuscany, known for its horse races, pottery, and cookies (not too shabby, in my opinion).

It's so hard for me to believe that today, September 7, 2014, is here. In a sense, I feel like the summer absolutely flew by, but in another it seems like I have been waiting for this day for ages. And it's finally here. As I type this, I am sitting in the Atlanta airport anxiously awaiting the plane's arrival (and struggling to concentrate because Erin Andrews is loudly commentating on the TV right behind me, and also this place is a people-watching mecca. People watchers of the world, if you're reading this, the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is a prime spot). I should be in the air right now, but my flight got delayed because of bad weather (I will spare you the boring details. Synopsis: flight is now departing in an hour and a half). So fingers crossed that I won't miss my flight to Florence! (Who knows, though, that might be a sign that I'm meant to study abroad in Germany instead!)

In all seriousness, though, I really am so excited for this adventure to begin. I don't know when it's going to sink in that I'm actually going to be living in Italy for three months...right now it still feels like a dream! And on top of that, I am getting to share my study abroad experience with Caroline and Helen, two of my best friends in the world. I know it's going to be a jam-packed semester, full of adventures, challenges, GTs (good times), and growth. I still can't get over the fact that the last time I was sitting in this airport, I was with 26 other people getting ready to go to South Africa... I don't feel old enough to be traveling across the world by myself. However, when I think about it, I'm really not traveling by myself. Despite all my nerves that come with first-time solo international travel, I can take comfort in knowing that I am never alone. This morning at church, my pastor read from Joshua at the beginning of the service, specifically focusing on one of my favorite verses, Joshua 1:9, which says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." What a sendoff! So as I'm sitting here in the airport, a place where it is so easy to be surrounded by people yet feel so alone, I take heart in the knowledge that wherever I go, God is with me.

Ciao for now! (Hopefully the next post will be coming to ya live from Siena!)

****IMPORTANT UPDATE****

My good friends at Lufthansa gave me a meal voucher to use at any restaurant in the airport!!! At first, I didn't know what to do with that kind of freedom. Should I take the chance of getting lost in the airport and venture over to a different concourse for Chick-fil-A? Should I return to Pei Wei (where I had dinner about 2 hours ago)? I was overwhelmed by the options. Then it hit me. The obvious choice had been standing right in front of me this whole time: The One. The Only. The Varsity. So I quickly jumped in line, and when asked the standard "what'll ya have," I responded, "a chocolate milkshake." Now I know a chocolate shake isn't the standard Varsity order, but I've never been the standard order type (I didn't eat chicken until I was in 4th grade, so up until that point I always got salads at Chick-fil-A...I know. Weird.) But I digress. Let's just say I went a little crazy with this new found meal voucher power.... (and who knew The Varsity had grapes??)