THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

I'm finally down to my last month in the States. In exactly 30 days I'll be en route to Iceland and just 4 days later I'll be landing in Copenhagen. It's a little surreal. I've updated my calendar with my DIS class schedule. I've submitted my notice for my last day of work at my school-year job. I've even started making a list of what to pack.

Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to the upcoming semester but I still haven't quite been able to wrap my head around that the fact I'm not just going on an extended vacation. I'm not going to just be studying abroad...I'll actually be living there too. This distinction is what I expect will be the biggest source of homesickness for me. As much as I enjoy traveling, every trip has a solid expiration date. Vacations are an escape from reality, a chance to relax, recharge and enjoy a little space from all the crazy.

(I'm an Instagram addict, ok?)

Just because I'm leaving my DC home doesn't mean that I'll be getting a free pass for the semester. Sure, I may be leaving some of my worries back on the hilltop but I need to be ready for a new set of challenges, tears, triumphs and smiles. One of my good friends is spending the fall in Budapest and we got to talking about everything we wanted to do and see while in Europe.

"Ya know," she said, "I know a lot of people travel every weekend. That's cool and all, but I'm really looking forward to actually living in the city and getting to know my way around."

I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of it like that before. Copenhagen is going to be my home, not just a perpetual layover on the world's longest Eurotrip. With this in mind, I'm making a vow now to not spend every weekend on a train or plane. I will have plenty of chances to travel while abroad but I only have one semester to really live there and I want to make it count.