My phone is off. My magazines and chocolate are within reach. I've already looked up the in flight movies and am debating between When Harry Met Sally and Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Then it finally sinks in. I'm going to England.
I whip out paper and pen. The endless rambling in my head likes to breathe in ink every once in a while. I start writing out goals for the trip. You know, because I watched too much Oprah as a kid.
Goals
The obvious:
- Go to London
- Go to Paris
- Go to Amsterdam
- Befriend Kate Middleton
The Sara Specific
- Eat a crepe under the Eiffel Tower
- Don't lose your headphones
- Don't break your sunglasses
- Convince yourself to enjoy beer
- Perfect your already terrific British accent
The not so obvious
- Never get bored. You are in Europe for goodness sakes!
- Don't let the fact that you're tired be the reason for not doing something.You can sleep when you're in America.*
- Don't just be a visitor. Explore everywhere you go.
I've been more than lucky in my life. I've traveled to through Japan and around Europe. Most likely, this is my last time out of the country for a while, and I don't want to miss a thing.
When I was a senior in high school, I joked with my parents that I was going to go to the University of Oxford after I graduated. It's three years later and that's exactly where I am now. I know I won't be a Oxford grad by any means, but I hope the next six weeks are everything my 17 year old self hoped for and my 20 year old self set goals for.
Hello from Oxford.
*The exception that proves the rule: anything that is illegal, could endanger your academic standing, or could result in bodily harm.
