Traveling has always been a fond memory of mine. From annual camping adventures, to mission trips across the country with my church, and of course road trips with my family with dogs in tow. Now for the second semester of Junior year, I will be studying away in Australia from February till the end of June. I'm super excited about my upcoming time away, but as the time to depart gets closer, the full realization of what I'll be leaving behind is becoming more real.

I've always had my friends and family along with me for my adventures, and now in a few months I won't have them by my side for my first time out of the country, and my longest time I've been away from home.

A semester abroad has been something I've known I've wanted to do since high school, and now that my time to study abroad is finally in sight I'm faced with excitement and anxiety about leaving those I've grown close to back home in Minnesota.

Some of the hardest people to leave back home are my apartment mates from first semester of college. As I moved out of my on-campus apartment a few days ago, and left my apartment mates behind, there were tears and laughs shared by us all because we all realized that we'll miss our "quad squad," and it felt like we were just beginning to really get to know each other nearing the end of our first semester. In the Fall we started out the semester being a little hesitant about living together, but as fate would have it all of our personalities blended quite well, and we had an amazing first semester of Junior year!

Along with my positive apartment mate experience, I also felt like I finally gained a solid handle on my friendships this past semester; and now it's time to put those on hold too and make new ones abroad. I am looking forward to see all my good friends at my small school in Minnesota once again, but for now I am going to have to hypothetically press pause on those, and excel into the relationships with people I have yet to meet!

On top of leaving behind relationships which mean a lot to me, I'm also apprehensive about the school work and assignments, and how I'll be perceived as being the international student. What if the school work is something I've never experienced before? What if I'm not prepared enough, and don't transfer well into to the Australian school system?

I'm also unsure of how people will react to me being the American student. It's no surprise that at the moment America isn't exactly living up to its ideals of being honest and honorable. Instead we are uncomfortable with ourselves and neighbors, are ignorant to injustice and suffering which doesn't directly concern us, and our recent election just proves how divided our nation is at the moment.

How do I serve as a good vessel to downplay the American stereotype? How can I promote change for a better tomorrow through the relationships I have yet to make?

These are lofty questions, and how I intend to approach them while away in a new place, and surrounded by new people is to simply be curious and open to listening to others. (And yes, hearing their criticisms without putting on blockers, and by encouraging open conversation.)

All in all, having the opportunity to study abroad is an awesome opportunity, and one that I'll treasure for a life time. But it's also one which leaves me feeling not only anxious about the future, but extremely excited as well.