Pre-Departure Thoughts

It's the day before my fight to Lisbon and I find myself curled up in my bed questioning if studying abroad was the right decision.

❝Am I really ready to leave my home, my family and friends, and everything I know to fly to a country in which I don't know anyone?❞

Well, the answer is no, but when can anyone ever be prepared to do something like this? Part of the adventure and excitement lies in the action of seeing out into the unknown. Who could have predicted that I would even have an opportunity like this anyways? Furthermore, this is really something that you can't mentally prepare yourself for.
Then what do I do with all this nervousness and anxiety that I'm feeling? Well, as I learned from my favorite philosophical show, The Amazing World of Gumball...

❝When life gives you lemons, you squeeze them back into life's eyes!❞

Basically, what I'm trying to say, is that you have to take that nervous/negative energy, burn it, and let positive vibes and happiness rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Whenever I feel doubt creeping its way back in, I remind myself of all the people in my life that are rooting for me and supporting me. I remember that regardless of the outcome of my experience, they await me back at home (Also, I creepily reread all of my texts with them to remind myself of our friendships and laugh again at all the jokes that I made that actually weren't even funny, so that helps too.) Also, focusing on the negatives will always leave you feeling negative, so open your eyes to what is going right.

Packing done ✔

Flight Tickets bought ✔

Blessing from your Portuguese grandparents received (followed up with cash to buy lembranças) ✔

With all this positive energy, there's no room for doubt. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go ahead and write a Self-Help book.

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Studying Abroad in Lisbon, Portugal

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