22 Days and 1000 Things to Do

From left to right: Me, Ashley, Ashley, and Paris
on one of our last outings as a group into
 the Delmar Loop in Saint Louis, Missouri!

     Tests are done. School is out for the Summer. 14 days until the YES Abroad Pre-Departure Orientation in Washington D.C. And only 22 days left before my journey to Thailand begins! My Summer thus far has consisted of eating at all of my favorite restaurants, enjoying good old American frozen custard, and many sad goodbyes to my friends and family. The next 22 days will be a whirlwind. There's still so much to do in these next 3 short weeks. But, no matter how much any of us 65 students prepare for our journeys around the globe, we'll never be ready. To be completely ready would mean there would be no reason for our pending adventures. That's the beauty of travel. You only succeed if you step out of your comfort zone and expect the unexpected.

     Now that Summer is here, I have a few projects that I need to complete before I depart! Some of them are mandatory, some voluntary. But, all of them will help me in my efforts to integrate into Thai culture a little smoother than if I landed in Thailand as a clueless American.

1. Create my YES Abroad introduction video sharing a piece of my culture with my host family, school, and community.

2. Post my first vlog on my YouTube channel to document my adventures in Thailand.

3. Create a photo book of sorts with pictures of my American friends, family, and my community that I can share with my Thai friends and family.

4. LEARN THAI.

Half of the world represented in one picture!

     Before I depart for Thailand, I will be attending the YES Abroad National Pre-Departure Orientation where I will be attending a State Department visit, a visit to the Embassy of Thailand, and several workshops to better prepare me for my year abroad. The entirety of the trip wouldn't be complete without the other 64 kids preparing to go abroad! A few of them have been by my side since last year when the applications for the YES Abroad program opened, and they're now some of my best friends. I'm as close to them as many people in life that I see everyday. Crazy how that happens, isn't it?

   

I wonder if selfies are as popular in Asia as
they are States side?

     Some days I feel extremely excited, some days I feel extremely bummed, and some days I feel extremely nervous and anxious. Most days it's a mixture. But I guess that's all part of being an exchange student. You feel things you've never had to feel before. It's a roller coaster of emotions right now. Like the rush you get when you're on an airplane during take off. Like the feeling of running your absolute hardest while laughing simultaneously with your friends. Like the feeling of watching a really sad movie that inspires you (The Fault in Our Stars, anybody?). But I love it, I absolutely love it.

     Until next blog post, see you guys soon!