Well, in exactly a week, I’ll be boarding a plane to Heathrow. This still doesn’t seem real to me, and even now I’m chilling at my house–still procrastinating–much like I’ve been doing this whole break. But that needs to end, and packing needs to start! Like most people studying abroad maybe, most of my Christmas presents consisted of travel-sized items, adapters for abroad, fuzzy socks, and gift cards, so even though I tried to focus on break and not think about the troublesome logistics of my upcoming travel before I had to, the reminder was always there. And now, it’s time.

So, here is a just a short list of what’s on my plate this week:

–Food.  I just got a bunch of books from the library about inexpensive, gluten-free cooking.  This will be my first-time ever cooking for myself, so hopefully I’ll be able to navigate the grocery stores and the oven well enough.  I’m going to try a few recipes and copy the good ones so I’m not starting out completely clueless when I get there. I’ll be mostly clueless.

–Getting together paperwork. I need to print out a bunch of emails, acceptance letters, and get bank statements. In fact, I’m most worried about getting my visa when I arrive and having everything go smoothly–I’ve never travelled alone internationally (or nationally actually) before, and I just want to find the right line! But I’m definitely going to focus on details now and make sure I have everything so when the time comes, I’m ready.

–Packing actual items.  I made a list! It’s long, but I’ve checked it more than twice. I’ve measured my luggage…now I just have to make some tough choices: how many pairs of jeans do I pack? (Maybe 3?) Are bringing rain boots worth it? (Probably not.) Is bringing Juno worth it? (Definitely.) I’m trying to pack as lightly as possible, but I do want to bring little tastes of home. I’m thinking of bringing some old letters from friends, of course pictures, and a few favorite books. But, of course, that all depends on whether my suitcase zips or not.

There’s my super-abbreviated list of to-dos. As much as I don’t like details, it will be worth all the packing, phone calls, and re-packing when I finally reach my destination–Heathrow Airport, London, England.

Location: State College, Pennsylvania