Vaccines are completed, visa is in the mail, luggage is partway packed.
I leave a week from tomorrow.
I'm in the midst of New Student Orientation at my school, where we help freshmen get acquainted to campus. I love this job and am sad that this year is my last, as I am a senior.
Studying abroad as a senior in a country where I don't know the language. Because I don't know the language. Now is definitely a time for growth and change.
I have hiking boots and long underwear and outdoorsy gear I've never had the excuse to need before. But with a mountain to climb, bikes to ride around city walls, and the Silk road to explore, I'm going to be outside a great deal on this adventure.
I have a friend from TU who went to Xi'an with the Alliance a few semesters ago. He said that the Xi'an program was for adventurous people. I hope so. As studious as I am (and intend to be), I must admit that I'm not going abroad simply for the academics. I want to see and smell and explore and push myself and meet new people.
As part of my cultural studies, I'm going to be undertaking a dance film series, which will occasionally be posted on or linked to here. The dances will include local settings, music, and movement as inspiration, shaped by my background and training. I can't wait to begin.
Expect a lot of pictures, reflections, and stories!
I'll be sure to tell you all when it finally sinks in that I'm going abroad.
