The Day Before the "Big Day!"

        It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in my on-campus apartment filling out the application for what I thought was going to be nothing more than a dream. Despite my thoughts at that point, my dream has become a reality and tomorrow, yes... tomorrow, I will set out for a day of travel and eventually end up in Ireland. Fun fact: I'm still not fully packed. This is something I never saw myself doing, but when I had a spark of desire, my family and friends supported me. My grandpa recently passed away, but during the last few months of his life, I've never seen a person more excited to watch someone else go on a trip. He will be with me on this trip, that much I know. My parents have provided incredible support, they've helped me navigate getting a passport, packing, finances, and beyond. My roommate, Kelsey, has given me amazing insight from her great experiences and has challenged me leading up to my trip abroad. Various other friends have continuously encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone for a couple of weeks in order to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity and even provided ideas for how to stay busy on an eight hour flight. Thank you to everyone and to God for this incredible chance to take a leap of faith and do something crazy. I can now say that I'm ready, or as ready as I'll ever be, to study abroad in Ireland!

If connections while abroad allow, I will hopefully update this blog as much as possible so everyone back home can follow along with my experience!

Thanks,

Ashley