Preparing for Departure

              I’m hoping to make blogging a habit, I’ve never tried to do this before but I suppose that moving to Spain for 6 months is reason enough to begin. Plus I come from a bloodline of well known bloggers (well, okay, maybe just my dad, not a bloodline, but blood for sure). For those of you out of the loop I’ll be spending January 18th til June 13th in Europe on a study abroad through Appalachian State University. I will be going to Universidad Pablo de Olavide in Seville, Spain (see map) as part of a bilateral exchange through my university, and I will be living in an apartment with a host family in a neighborhood called Los Remedios. While there I’ll be taking language, political relations, and culture courses, but most importantly I’ll be living it up in the motherland of the language I love. 

^Seville is in the southwestern corner

After classes end in May I’ll be embarking (hopefully) with my best friend Rebecca on a 4 week backpacking trip around Europe, if all goes as planned she’ll be flying over to meet me in Spain and from there the fun will begin. Our itinerary is still wide open but we’re looking into visiting Barcelona, some part of Germany, Lille, France where my dear friend/roommate/amazing person Gillie is studying abroad (check out her blog- www.pardonmyfrenchsvp.wordpress.com), Paris, London, Wales, and Scotland. This is a huge list so it may be trimmed down, especially depending on flight/train costs and if we can find places to stay. Anywho....

These past few days in Greensboro have been filled with visiting, food, and packing. In just 5 days I’ve ventured to Raleigh, Winston Salem, shared lots of food, and have seen dozens of people whom I hold dear. My going away shindig Friday was wonderful, I have such a solid support system of friends, neighbors, and family here in Greensboro and parties like that help me be reminded of just how lucky I am. There was lots of socializing, sangria, and music, I hope everyone had as much fun as I did! 

My flight leaves this Wednesday at 1:30pm out of Greensboro, I’m looking at a 21 hour travel day at the end of which i will have reached my destination by Thursday at 4:50pm (Sevilla time). I’ll no doubt be tired and disoriented, but I’ll be in Spain which means I will have reached the beginning of an adventure that will surely change my life. I still have a little packing to do, people to see, and some of the hardest goodbye’s are yet to come, but for the most part things are wrapped up for me here. As of today all of my stuff fits into a giant suitcase, a backpack, and a banjo case, but the most important parts of my life will be staying here. Six months may not seem all that long, but at the same time it feels like a lifetime, especially since I’m only 20 years old. Things here will change while I’m gone and so will I, I think being aware of that now will help the transition back. 

I’m going to miss so many people while abroad, I hope that this blog will help people keep up with me on my travels, but I also don’t want to lose track of where you all are. If you have free time please email me up an update or write me a letter, I’ll be posting my address soon and I promise to write back! Also feel free to message me any travel suggestions for while I’m there and also if you know of anyone that wouldn’t mind hosting a couple of college students during our month of backpacking. 

Here’s to the future, to nights filled with dancing, music, delicious food, sipping sangria, new friends, and lots of adventure. And here’s also to true friendship and love, two ties that cannot be severed or forgotten because of time and distance, but instead will remain with me no matter where I go.

I’ll leave this post with a quote sent to me by my best friend:

"The purpose of life is to live it,

To taste experience to the utmost,

To reach out eagerly and without fear

For newer and richer experience."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

My room right now, attempting to regain order in the face of chaos.

Mom and dad at the piano, no Hoggard party is complete without a little music.

My going away party, I got to see some great people!

I'm going to miss this a terrible amount, these are superb people and I'm proud to call them my friends, keep it classy ya'll.

From left to right: Trevor, Me, Rebecca, Paula, Lou, and Holly

Photo cred on this one goes to Lou Murrey