Let the Final Preparations Begin

Today, and the past several weeks I have been making the final preparations for moving abroad. It started with finishing the visa application process and mailing that off. Then waiting, hopefully, for a visa to be granted to me (it was)! Now I have been reading travel blogs, moving blogs, and study abroad blogs as if it were going out of style! (Some of these that have been helpful I will post links for at the end of this post). There have been many helpful sites but they are all for 3-6 months studying abroad, or moving an entire family abroad to live and work. Which are both extremes that I fall in the middle of. I am moving about to live and work and study but not just three months, but three years. And I will be returning very little in those three years to my home town. It has been difficult, what do I pack, what do I not pack, what can be bought there, what must be bought there, do I really want to carry that many pairs of shoes with me? When did I become attached to shoes? I have never been one of those "shoes" girls and yet I feel I must take about 10 pair; brown riding boots, lace up black boots, lace up taupe boots, black ankle boots, oxfords in taupe, ankle flats in brown, blue converse high tops, sneakers (I am going to want to work out at some point), brown/tan heels, tan flats, flip flops for public showers, and then what about my beloved Chacos? Eek! What do I do! How am I possibly supposed to pack all of that! It has been slightly overwhelming to realise how much I have to take that you would never take on a normal vacation which is what I am used to packing for. Even moving around was different, I was always able to easily drive home and get what I left or missed and I had the ability to pack my car full of stuff! But my car can't make it across the pond!

The hardest part will be leaving behind the books and movies...I love both and there is going to be a problem packing those...far too heavy and will take too much room! That is my next task, figure out what do to with those beloved hobbies that cannot travel abroad! Drawing, painting, reading, movie watching, knitting, etc...

Have a blessed day!
-Carlie


Buzz Feed - simply random thoughts
infinite.nu - budgeting money
collegefashion.net - clothes
moreawesomerblog.com - looks helpful // haven't read it
blairblogs.com - random
theslenderstudent.com - eating abroad