My parents will carry on their everyday routines as if I wasn't 3,500 miles away. I will have to get used to them showing their love and support through email, viber, and possibly skype if I am fortunate enough to find strong wifi.
My Emory roommate, Rachel, will enjoy a more spacious room and the absence of my early morning alarm. My suitemates will have more cabinet/fridge space to fill with healthy, organic food.
My Tri Delt big sister will not be able to spoil me with love in the form of food and drinks. We will not gain another member to our Tri Delt family and I will not be able to rage with any of the trideezy babies in PC '13.
My home friends will not receive ludicrous snapchats at all hours of the day.
One of my soccer teammates will become the lightest lifter at spring lifting workouts.
While all of these incredible people will live their lives and adjust to the distanced existence of me in their lives, I will feel the overwhelming absence of immediate care and support from each and every one of these individuals. "Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown."-Unknown. I recognize that throughout my life I have taken many small risks to become the person that I am today. I tried new sports, joined more competitive soccer teams, took challenging classes that introduced me to new material, and chose to play college soccer 13 hours away from home at Emory University. The process of entering the unknown, initial discomfort, and gradual acceptance has led me to form the most meaningful relationships in my life. With each new phase of my life, my established support network continues to grow beyond just my family and include people like my hometown classmates, teammates new and old, high school friends, college friends, my sorority sisters; the genuine people that I know no matter how long we haven't spoken, they would be there for me if I needed them the same way I'd be there for them if they needed me.
As I approach this entry into the unknown, the game has changed. My support network is not a lunch date, text, snapchat, or phone call away. I won't be able to instantly connect with the amazing people that surround me. I will have to intuitively feel their support and rely on myself like I have never relied on myself before.
While I develop new relationships in Spain, I will write and reflect upon my experiences to ensure that I do not undergo unwanted change. I will write so that I remember who I am, where I came from, and what is important to me. Although I am an extremely analytical and reflective person, I have never kept a journal. If anyone reads this blog, they will be able to gain insight into my new development and hopefully feel more in touch with me than they would through the occasional "i miss you" Facebook post. Most importantly, at the end of this trip I will be able to see my personal growth while I am abroad because no matter who you ask, studying abroad is supposedly a "life-changing experience." On a final note, I hope that Spain is ready for this Jersey girl because I am definitely ready for Spain.
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