Impressions Before Leaving

I have been super excited about this trip, and my excitement levels have changed as the big day has gotten closer and closer. When I first learned that I would have the opportunity to take part in the fall semester program, I was almost in disbelief, and I felt like I was walking on air. I would be able to participate in an intense business program with others who are at the top of their academic game and who will probably play a big role in the world of business and at large. I was intimidated from the start. As the semester began and the workload piled up high, I was stressed. As I look back on those first two weeks, I recognize that it helped me learn how to better deal with knowing that I have quite a bit more than I know I can do in a specified time frame.

As the day of the trip was about a week away, I was thinking a lot about the papers and assignments that were due on the day before our departure, and I was wondering a little bit why I wasn’t more excited. The mental burden I carried of all the work yet to be done left me a little worn out by just thinking about it. At the same time, I tried to take what I had learned and put faith in everything turning out alright. The night before our departure, I was busy getting things ready, and I could hardly believe that I would be leaving the next day for Europe. I have been looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about European life, how the businesses that traverse numerous cultures and languages make it all work. I’d be meeting with big businesses and political organizations that make the world quite a different place to live. The feeling has been surreal, and the opportunity to become acquainted with people from a different world has me mentally bracing for whatever comes next.