I move out sunday!?

That's right people THIS sunday. My mother and I took Christmas night to begin to pack up the things in my room I won't be taking to Rome, aka EVERYTHING. After we went a little crazy we sat down to figure out the plan for when my brother can help me move out, when I need to pack my suitcase, and the rest of the stuff I need to do before Monday January 7th (which is only 10 days away I might add). I want to be moved out by the 1st so that my subleaser can move in as soon as she wants. This would call for me to move out this weekend, sunday being the only day that I am able to. SUNDAY, as in 2 days from now, SUNDAY!  I guess the stress and craziness of finals and Christmas over shadowed the excitement and stress of leaving for Italy. 

Christmas was wonderful, my family is very excited for me. Evidence of this is in the christmas presents I was receiving. Euros from my brother Adam, toiletries from my mother and Aunt Liz,  travel bags from my grandma, and money from brother and Brooke. I'm so very blessed to have such a supporting family!!

I have a large list of things to do this next week, and have all week off from work to do it. My last day at The Waterfront will be this saturday. It will be crazy to have almost 5 months off from work, considering i've worked there since I was 14. I know they will miss me very much :) 

I got another package from API, inside was my address, my roommates, and information about what to expect when getting picked up from the airport in Italy. The neighborhood I will be living in is Monteverde (Green Mountain). I live with 4 other girls who I may or may not have looked up on facebook, it was too tempting! I have a landline that once I get there and figure out for sure the prices on having people call me I will decide whether to put that number up so people can get ahold of me. But I will have my phone and computer to connect to WiFi to talk on facebook, skype, and iMessage. I will be suspending my phone service so I don't get charged crazy amounts of money, but will be getting an unlocked phone and a sim card once I arrive in Rome. 

In ten days I will be on a plane to set out on an adventure of a life time. 

Until next time, 

Emily :) 

Is it JUST money?

With every person I tell about plans to travel abroad the question of how much its costing me or if I have enough funds always seems to come up. The answer I tell them is I will make it work one way or another, and most everyone responds with "Yeah, it's just money anyway." As to say its just something that can just be wished into existence. Lately I have had the massive feeling of, it's not JUST money. It's the huge elephant in the room, the huge line between the trip of a life time and wasting the already couple grand (that is non refundable I may add) I have shelled out to make this trip possible. Thankfully my financial aid will be covering most of it and I'm not so patiently awaiting a second award letter for other aid I have applied for, which will only be processed once I pay off the holds on my account. Seeing a pattern here? I feel as though I'm bleeding money! After a long telephone conversation with my amazing mother, I have devised a plan to exhaust ALL my options!

1. Apply for a private loan in hopes of not having to accept it
2. Apply for a credit card, for emergencies of course 
3. Shamelessly promote my GoFundMe page :)

Along with prayer, all I can do is do my diligence and work hard to make this possible. 

In lighter news, I received a packet today with a list of every person participating in my program and book which on the front says: 

"Are you ready? Go time is just around the corner. Your life as you know it is about to change. How you think. How you feel. How you live. It's time for a big dose of the world. Smells will be different. Sights will be different. Sounds will be different. You'll come back a new person with a whole new view of the world. Isn't that exciting? Cherish this opportunity. Learn from it. Live from it. In a few months, you'll look back and thank yourself. " 

Now if that isn't something that doesn't get you pumped, I don't know what would. The book is filled with all the good stuff I need to know. Culture shock, American stereotypes, cell phone usage, airport safety, etc. It's a very helpful preparation tool. 

I finally registered, and got my final schedule. I will only have classes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Leaving Thursday and Friday to travel and really make the most of my experience. I will only be taking 4 classes and 13 credits. I wanted to take one more 3 credit class but it was full by the time I was able to register. I am taking Introductory Italian, Business Communications, Organizational Management, and my favorite... Digital Photography. Can you imagine getting to take Photography in ROME! Talk about AMAZING :) 

My spirits are still high, and I still feel incredibly blessed to have this opportunity. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers! 

Until next time,

Emily :) 

Isaiah 41:10  fear not, for I am with you;  be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Money, Preparation, and Pre-Departure Gitters

T-Minus 54 Days until I leave for my 5 month long semester abroad in Rome, Italy and the excitement is becoming a bit overwhelming! I have 101 things to do and plenty of time to do it (as long as I stop procrastinating). 54 days...less than two months and I will be on a plane on my way to have the experience of a lifetime! I am overly excited; I call my mother and just about anyone who will listen to tell them about my excitement for the upcoming months quite too often :) 

Money has become a pretty large damper on all my excitement. My total program cost is just over $17,000, most of which will be covered with by my school loans. But that total doesn't include the money for food I will need, the money for bills back home I will need, and of course the spending money I will need (because come on, who in the world goes to Rome and doesn't buy something special). I have set up a site on Go Fund Me that has proven to be a help already! [Special shout out to all those who have already contributed to my trip: Sam P, Andy V, Nathan B, and Bobby E.] By clicking the link you can take a part in starting to feed my obsession with travel, and fascination for hearing people's stories! 

I have got just about everything turned in and all deposits paid, and i'm patiently awaiting my roommate assignment, my new address in Rome, and to register on November 27th for my classes. I guess the theme for this first post is how EXCITING everything is! :) I'm going to start packing up my room and moving things to my mom's so that my subleaser, the wonderful Jennifer, can start to move in. I'm working toward being completely moved out by January 3ish and staying at my mom's or crashing on the couch until I leave on January 7th. 

I plan to keep this blog going to update my friends and family on my adventure abroad. So keep checking back and don't forget to check out my Go Fund Me site :) 

Until next time, 
Emily :) 

P.S. Christmas is only 39 days away...just another form of excitement in my life :)