It's Official!

It is official! I am leaving on October 29th for Germany! I will be taking a course at a language school in Hamburg for approximately six months during which time I will hopefully travel all over Europe. There is still much to do in just over a month and knowing my procrastinatory nature, it won't all get done until the week before I leave. Or the day before, you know.

Other exciting things could be happening these past few weeks. At the IHJA "A" Circuit Medal Finals I won both the Marshal & Sterling Adult Medal Finals and the IHJA Adult Medal Finals. I even got interviewed and there is an article here about it! The following week I finished up the show season in Kentucky. Both of my parents were able to come and a fun time was had by all. I'm super sad to be done with horse showing for the foreseeable future, but with so many other exciting things coming up, I can't really complain!

New Adventures

Today is the first day of orientation at Smith College and it's got me thinking a lot about the coming year. Although I'm super excited about my gap year, I am a little jealous off all the people starting a huge new adventure today. I love new adventures; I want to have as many adventures in my life as I possibly can. But, despite the fact that I am not embarking on a new adventure today, I have one coming in just two short months. And then? Then I get to experience what a few hundred awesome women are experiencing today. I still get to go on their adventure, I just get to have another one first.

Also, I have realized why Smith doesn't start until September 2nd: Because most people will probably travel to MA the day before, i.e. the 1st of September, i.e. the day the Hogwarts Express leaves, i.e. my college is basically Hogwarts.

The School Year Begins

Today all of my friends are either at school or on their way there, while I am happily at home with my animals and parents. Even if I wasn't taking a gap year before I head off to college and life I still wouldn't be going anywhere for another few days; orientation at Smith College in MA [my college of choice for those of you who didn't previously know (also, everyone keeps asking me where it is)] doesn't start until the second of September.

I'm very excited that my parents are letting me take this year to travel and study German before college. I've always thought that gap years are a wonderful idea, we need a year to relax and not need to worry about tests and grades and the future.

My gap year will really begin in November when I leave for Hamburg, Germany where I will be living and studying at a language school for six months. While I'm there I plan on traveling all over Europe and go to as many different cities and countries as I possibly can. Eventually I want to travel to every country of the world, but for now, I think I'll just stick with a majority of Europe!

I can't wait to see what the next year brings!