Pre-Departure

As I prepare for my adventures abroad, I have taken a lot of time to reflect on what has gotten me to the place I am today. A daughter, a sister, a friend, a junior student at American University, a former intern in DC, NYC, and CA, and a photographer. While college has put my love of photography on hold as I pursue a degree in International Studies I am reminded of my love and passion for stills of everyday life. As I look forward to the travel and adventure that will take place during my time in Europe, I am quietly anticipating re-kindling my relationship with landscape photography.

Much of this last year was spent stressed, missing my family back home, worrying about my financial behavior and, finding a more mature balance to my life. Finding balance was quickly offset by the drastic change that is finals week in DC and winter break in S. California. While personal space and boundaries disappeared and we quickly got on all of each others nerves, looking for "space", I've realized that I won't be feeling this way for a very long time. In this next adventure I will be unfamiliar and uncomfortable, even if just at first, that kind of adjustment is disconnecting.

For this reason, I have decided to begin a blog. Now--hear me out, I am entirely prepared for this to only be read by my Mom, Sister, Dad, Grandma, Great Grandma, Uncles, Aunt, Grandpa, and the wold bunch of my family, perhaps some of my friends in the Professional Foreign Service sorority I'm part of, a few former professors, and so on.

So--If you're some unknown internet surfer looking for something to read--this is going to be a lot of sarcasm, a lot of cat references, a lot of #change, and photography of Europe.

I leave to go back to the east coast in 8 days, to Brussels in 14 days, and turn 21 in 16 days. It is going to be the adventure of a life-time, and while I'm sure there will be ups and downs, bear with me as I will be missing you all dearly while I am away.