three weeks.
Yes. Three weeks, and I will be back Stateside.
I've got very mixed feelings about it. Now that it's so close, I am looking forward to catching up with old friends and having my sweet kitties taking over my bed. I am looking forward to having a big hug from my mum and visiting my favourite ponies out at the barn. I am looking forward to the freedom of being able to driiiiiiive again. I don't look forward to the sudden collapse of freedom I feel is going to happen. I don't look forward to leaving my friends here or what has genuinely become my family.
However, the end of one adventure means the start of another. I have a feeling that this summer will be reasonably unadventurous, aside from a trip to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park in early July. I know my mum and I are going to do some university visits: I also know that it is a must that whatever university I go to has an excellent study-abroad program in addition to summer work/volunteer/internship programmes/trips.
I have rolled the thought around in my head of taking a gap year. The major disadvantages to this are: starting university at 19 when most of my fellow students are 18; the cost; and convincing my parents that it's a good idea to take a year out from formal education. However, I have also played around with the idea of taking a year out between university and the grad school I know I'll be attending. That seems like a slightly more realistic option. However, we'll see where things take me. It would be somewhere interesting and doing something worthwhile, I can tell you that much: I would not simply be vegging out. I have toyed with being an au pair (live-in childminder -- that may sound atrocious, but governments often have very strict laws in place for au pairs re: how many hours they can work, etc.) in France, working for a company which does horse treks/equestrian vacations in Africa, volunteering in India, etc.
Although I only have three weeks to go, the adventure is not over yet. It will not be over until I touch foot on American soil again. We ended up spending May half-term (24-29 May) on the shores of Lake Bala in Wales. It's a beautiful part of the world; I forgot how beautiful Wales really is. Lots of walking and scenic drives ensued and I returned thoroughly relaxed. Tomorrow and Thursday we are going to be having something of a mini-break (I'm having a mini-break; my host mum has some minor responsibilities with a group doing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh final expedition) in Newcastle by Clun, also in Wales. This weekend we are doing something, which is as yet undecided. I'll be sure to post about it, though! I'll probably post some photos from Wales, etc. as well.
I've got very mixed feelings about it. Now that it's so close, I am looking forward to catching up with old friends and having my sweet kitties taking over my bed. I am looking forward to having a big hug from my mum and visiting my favourite ponies out at the barn. I am looking forward to the freedom of being able to driiiiiiive again. I don't look forward to the sudden collapse of freedom I feel is going to happen. I don't look forward to leaving my friends here or what has genuinely become my family.
However, the end of one adventure means the start of another. I have a feeling that this summer will be reasonably unadventurous, aside from a trip to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park in early July. I know my mum and I are going to do some university visits: I also know that it is a must that whatever university I go to has an excellent study-abroad program in addition to summer work/volunteer/internship programmes/trips.
I have rolled the thought around in my head of taking a gap year. The major disadvantages to this are: starting university at 19 when most of my fellow students are 18; the cost; and convincing my parents that it's a good idea to take a year out from formal education. However, I have also played around with the idea of taking a year out between university and the grad school I know I'll be attending. That seems like a slightly more realistic option. However, we'll see where things take me. It would be somewhere interesting and doing something worthwhile, I can tell you that much: I would not simply be vegging out. I have toyed with being an au pair (live-in childminder -- that may sound atrocious, but governments often have very strict laws in place for au pairs re: how many hours they can work, etc.) in France, working for a company which does horse treks/equestrian vacations in Africa, volunteering in India, etc.
Although I only have three weeks to go, the adventure is not over yet. It will not be over until I touch foot on American soil again. We ended up spending May half-term (24-29 May) on the shores of Lake Bala in Wales. It's a beautiful part of the world; I forgot how beautiful Wales really is. Lots of walking and scenic drives ensued and I returned thoroughly relaxed. Tomorrow and Thursday we are going to be having something of a mini-break (I'm having a mini-break; my host mum has some minor responsibilities with a group doing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh final expedition) in Newcastle by Clun, also in Wales. This weekend we are doing something, which is as yet undecided. I'll be sure to post about it, though! I'll probably post some photos from Wales, etc. as well.