As Blogs Manager here at the Collegian, I hear from a lot of CSU students that want to write about going abroad.  There are bloggers in places like France, Jordan, Spain, and more,  and it’s always great to read about these folks going on adventures in other parts of the world.  Sure, there’s always been a part of me that’s looked at their journeys and been a little green with envy, but I always knew in the back of my mind that someday I would make like John Denver and leave on a jet plane, too.

Sunday night, I’ll be on my way to the Emerald Isle for an internship in Dublin– my own little adventure.  Okay, so it’s not little.  It’s a two-month trip away from the comfort of Colorado where I won’t have service on my iPhone or proper sleep-in time.  But you think I’m complaining?  I’m not, I swear.

Ireland has been on my bucket list of places to visit since before I can even remember wanting to make a bucket list (because, I mean, I’m not really old enough to have one of those anyway).  It’s old school but modern, a city wrapped up in the countryside, a town full of cobblestone streets and handsome Irishmen…and that’s just what I got from Leap Year (don’t judge me, it was my only resource at the moment).

I’m crazy excited about getting a fresh start in a new town.  A part of me wants to get lost in the winding streets for an evening, and another part of me wants to stick to the tourist attractions so I don’t get mugged while I’m getting lost in the winding streets.  Then, the more rational side of me wants to just see how it goes and explore every inch of the country that I can while I have the time and the resources.

I’m nervous, too, and I’m not afraid to admit that.  Going to a new country is always going to be nerve-wracking for anyone, and I have to remember that it’s okay to be afraid.  As the all-powerful Julie Andrews once said, “I remembered—yet again—that fear is a part of life. The trick is to recognize it and then press on anyway.”  And she’s right.  Know that fear is there, and live anyway.

I know I jest, but I really am excited to learn everything I can about Dublin.  I’ll try to take pictures and videos so you can experience the journey alongside me, and if you’re hungry for more, you can go to glassesgirlgoesabroad.blogspot.com.

For now, so long, and if you’re going on an adventure too, good luck and safe travels.  It’s crazy to think that my next blog will be posted from a different country, but it WILL!

Until then!

(All GIFs taken from Giphy.com)