By Monica
Group 1

It is the night before we depart for the country we have been learning so much about. I am getting quite nervous for Spain. I think my nerves come from the fact that I am going to experience many ‘firsts’ on this journey. For example, my first flight ever will be tomorrow at 5 PM. I never thought that I would only pack a carry on bag and one little personal bag for a three-week trip abroad to Spain. After consulting numerous blogs, my fellow classmates, and professors, I managed to pack this light. My packing adventures were mostly at Walmart with my mom. We stood in the aisle looking up restrictions for the quantities of liquid in clear plastic bottles. It was a learning experience for sure. I did splurge on a couple items at the fancier, REI. However, for the purposes of this trip, I found Wally World to be quite exceptional. Today I spent some time with my mom and grandmother. My grandmother could tell I was becoming nervous, so we spent the day talking about her international flight to Spain years ago with my grandfather. She talked to me about culture, food, music, and how much fun they had together. I was thankful to have her today to help me feel more calm. I am excited to embark on this journey, meet new people, and make new friends. Spain here we come!