Taking the road less traveled by

Over the past few days I've been visiting family for the holidays and in seeing a lot of my cousins and family friends there was talk of future plans regarding school etc. Surprisingly, a lot of my family are pursuing going to grad school like me.

Another cousin wants to study abroad in South Africa on a shorter program, and as I am traveling there myself I'm trying to encourage her to do so. She wants to do it, but seem on the fence for whatever reason. She wants a shorter program because she doesn't think she could go for an entire semester.

Reflecting back on everyone's upcoming plans for the year, I'm beginning to realize the realities of moving abroad for a degree: it's a BIG deal. Not that I didn't think that before, but seeing that no one else is willing to take that leap and move abroad puts it into perspective. I suppose not everyone does it because it isn't easy, but I think it has a huge payoff in the end; of course if it were easy everyone would be doing it.

I'm just starting to realize how much courage you have to possess to do something like this. I mean grad school is no easy feat, and to do so abroad in a totally new country, on a new continent, with a completely new education system is no joke.

I'm preparing myself more and more, I know at times this process will be difficult and I will wonder why I bothered to do it in the first place. As my mom said "...well, you're just landing at Heathrow all by yourself and you have to figure everything out..." I'm aware of that. It's funny, I'm completely, and willingly, throwing myself into this experience head first, not knowing what will happen. A few years ago? I would have never even dared to. I would have done whatever possible to stay put, to not go out of my comfort zone simply because a life lived in the U.S. bubble is easier than a life lived abroad. Now I'm actually wanting to pursue this huge feat, wanting to experience something so far outside of what is familiar...and I have to tell you: it's exhilarating.

I guess you could say I'm taking the road less traveled by; I'm just hoping that makes all the difference.

Rounding out 2014

Since we are in the last 2 weeks of 2014, I've been reflecting on the past year a bit.

The first half of the year was fairly uneventful, but oh the last 6 months of 2014 more than made up for it. Comparing the opportunities I had in January to the ones now is just incredible.

In the first half of the year I did finally get to go abroad again, after almost two years of not traveling. It was to a continent I had yet to set foot on, which was an exciting new adventure for me. The rest was a lot of rejections from trying to find a stable job, feeling uninspired and constantly going back and forth on the grad school decision seeming to overanalyze it constantly.

In the second half of 2014, I decided to go ahead and take a risk and apply for grad school. I came to the realization this is what I wanted, but more importantly needed to do for myself. In July I started the application, and in September submitted it.

In October I found out I had been accepted! Also in October I decided to pursue studying abroad in South Africa a few months before I made the move.

In December, I found out I would in fact be going to South Africa in June, and finally booked a long awaited trip back to London in March to see old and new friends, as well as checking out my school. I would have never thought in January that this is where I would be in December, having all of these opportunities to travel and live abroad, and I am so grateful. I finally realized what I want and wasn't afraid to go and get it. As my mom says: I know what I want, and find a way to make it happen, no matter what. I feel that these last few months in a testament to that.

As each day passes I am more and more certain that grad school is the right option for me in every way. It has lead me on the most incredibly journey so far, a journey of self discovery and happiness that I could not have discovered anywhere else. I know that the future is so bright for me, and things will only improve more so in the coming year.

So here is to 2015, to be the most incredible year to be filled with many, many milestones.

What has been a major highlight of 2014 for you?

Ecuador through instagram

View from the hotel room

Straddling the Equator's northern and southern hemispheres 

Cotopaxi

I ventured to South America for the first time in May with my school as part of a FAM trip. At the end of each term, the school takes students to an international destination, and in May they took us to Ecuador. We spent time in the capital, Quito, which is the highest capital city in the world, as well as Cotopaxi and the surrounding area and all through Ecuador's countryside. I knew very little about Ecuador before I left, but learned a lot about this new country while I was there, and discovered first hand how beautiful Ecuador is.

Back to London

I'm so excited to say that I will soon be heading back to the glorious city of London for a long overdue visit! I've been trying to get back for a very long time, and had originally planned to go over Thanksgiving but it didn't work out. I changed my plan and am going in the first week of March instead. I have new and old friends to visit, and my main reason for going is to check out University of Westminster and where I'll hopefully be living next year. It's been almost 2 and a half years since I was last in London, so as you can imagine I am ecstatic to be going back to the city that I love so much.

Where to?

I'm so excited to finally share the destination where I will be traveling to! I've known I'll be going here for about a week, and it still hasn't really hit me or sunk in yet. I still have a few months to go, but am already counting down until I leave! It's somewhere I really never thought I'd go to this soon - if I ever were to go here, it would have been probably quite later in my life. So...in June I will be spending a month in...

South Africa!!!

I am so, so excited to finally get to Africa! It will be the 4th continent I have set foot on! Not too bad! I would have thought if I were to ever get to Africa it would be Morocco, certainly not South Africa! I will be spending a few weeks in Cape Town, then heading north to Kruger National Park for a week to go on a safari (which is THE place to go on a safari) and closing out the trip with a few days in Johannesburg. I will be back in the U.S. in early July with just enough time to wrap up everything here before I make the move to London! I am so anxious for 2015 to be here. The last few months of 2014 have been incredible so I can't imagine what 2015 has in store.

Image via here

An Exciting Announcement

So about the exciting thing I mentioned in my last post...

I just got word that I will be traveling abroad again in 2015 to a very exciting destination! With this trip, plus the move to London, 2015 is shaping up to be the most incredible year yet.

Now the question is...where is this exciting destination I'll be traveling to? I want you all to guess where I will be traveling! I'll give you a few hints:

-It will be the furthest I have traveled thus far

-This place is on the other side of the world

-I have not been to this place before (and probably won't go to again as it is a once in a lifetime destination)

See if you can guess! I'll be back to announce where it is in a few days...

Stay tuned! Can you guess where I will be going in 2015?

Image via here.