Suitcases and countdowns

After 4 years of high school the time had finally come: university decisions.

 The journey that has gotten me to where I am today has not been easy. The countless hours of conversations and arguments with my parents about what country I could study in- them concerned about all aspects of me being on my own, and me who searching for direction. Going back and forth, do I study at home? Or do I continue the conversations so that I can follow my dreams? When all my friends made it seem so easy and effortless; of course they were leaving to study abroad. But for me it felt like I was running out of time with no real plan. 

Eventually, we settled and I finally knew where I was going, little did I know the hard part was still yet to come: the visas, documents in a foreign language, appointments, payments and the hardest of them all- the goodbyes. The checklist felt endless and with my parents working during the day, I had to sometimes do these things alone. Walking into a government building alone was intimidating. What if I forgot a document? What if I’m at the wrong building and missed my appointment? And not to forget, the occasional person behind the counter who was clearly having a bad day and made sure everyone knew it. 

Once all the documents were submitted came what was supposed to feel like a small period of relief; but until I had my passport back nothing was going to relax me. As someone with a nauseatingly weak passport this period of waiting felt like an underserved punishment. But as always, you can’t have flowers without a bit of rain. 

A few days later the rain stopped; I got my visa! 

Next came the suitcases and countdowns. My last few days at home went faster than I realized, and before I knew it, I was getting ready to leave for the airport. Saying goodbye to my family, everything started feeling real. I was leaving. Thankfully I had my dad by my side and ready to help me take on the challenge of adjusting to adult life. The 7 hours trapped inside the plane was agony in the best way possible. It gave me time to let my mind wonder and imagine the life I had waiting for me. What were the people going to be like? Would I get lost around my new campus? But the most important, how excited I was to start my first year in a subject I have so much passion for! 

At last, the beautiful agony came to an end. Our first few nights were spent at a hotel and our days wandering outside, exploring what felt like a dream until the sun went down. After a couple days into our new adventure together came the second biggest moment to happen on our trip: I was moving into my new apartment. 

Once I was done settling in, we decided to go grocery shopping, and little did I know that it would quickly turn into my favourite day of the week! Being able to put my AirPods in and stroll down the isles looking for my favourite things is satisfying in a way I never would have guessed. 

Then came the BIG day; my first day of university. The day my title officially transitioned from high school graduate to first-year university student. I met people from so many different countries, reminding me I was not the only one in this situation. Thousands of students flying across the world to tackle a challenge that has an immensely high reward. I made a few friends which quickly made me feel a bit more comfortable, and after the school day I met up with the one person I’d been thinking about the whole day: my dad. 

Our journey together eventually came to end and real life for me began. I quickly got the hang of how everything works and became comfortable with being on my own. Just as my dad told me it would; the first three months flew by before I even processed that I had been living on my own- and suddenly, I was at the airport waiting for my first flight ever alone, going home for Christmas. 

Until next time,

Skyler