Ever since I was little, I've wanted to travel the world. Different languages and cultures have always been so interesting to me, and one of my biggest dreams is being able to live in and visit different countries. This summer I finally have the opportunity to study in a different country.

As a Spanish major, I knew that my time in college would, or at least I hoped, would include a study abroad. I knew that I wanted to study abroad in between my sophomore and junior year, so in the fall I started planning. After choosing a program in the fall, I applied during the spring semester and finalized all of the details of my trip. But, during the spring semester, it wasn't quite real or even really close to happening.

Since I'm leaving soon, it's all starting to feel real. I'm so excited for the opportunities that I'm going to have and the growth I hope to see. Even though I've been writing about it all semester in essays for admission and scholarships, I mean it; I really want to get so much out of this trip. It will be a trip of many firsts for me; first time flying alone, first time stayed with a host family, and first time going to Europe.

The first step is getting on the plane. That's kind of a given, but it's also the only part of this trip that I feel like I know where I'm going and that I know what I need to do. It's hard to prepare to navigate two airports that you've never even stepped foot in, let alone one that's in a country you've never been to before.

After the longest day of flying, waiting, and flying again, I'll be in Spain. I'll finally be achieving this goal that I've had since I was so young and that I never really imagined would happen like this. The program that I'm going on is ideal for me. Not only do I get to study in a city with a ton of history, I also get to travel around to different parts of Spain to see even more of the country.

Traveling abroad is something that I want to be able to do forever and these next couple of days will give me confidence in the skills that I don't think I have right now. After today, I will have navigated airports in a foreign country on my own and will have started my journey into making Toledo a second home. I know that if I can do this, I can do anything.

One of the most important parts of studying abroad is to improve my language skills and knowledge of Spanish culture. I have such a big opportunity. I don't want to regret not doing something that would've been unique and life-changing, but I also don't want to set my expectations too high and not feel like this trip was everything I hoped it would be.

I'm about to start the craziest thing I've ever done, the smartest thing I've ever done, and the most adventurous thing I've ever done. I'm nervous and excited all at the same time, but I know that when it's all over, it'll be worth it.