As of now, I’m really excited to study abroad. Right now I’m getting caught in up packing, doubling checking that I have everything, and trying to see as many people as I can. That hasn’t left me a lot of time to think about my decision or second guess myself which I’m really thankful for. Scotland looks incredible. I’m a sucker for castles and history so it’s right up my alley. I haven’t been anywhere outside the country before so it’s quite a leap to not only travel outside the country but to also live there for five months.
At New Paltz, I call my parents every day…needless to say that will not be the case when I go to Scotland. We’ve worked out that I’ll talk to them every Sunday night instead. FaceTime and Skype will make it a lot easier to say in touch with them though. When my mom studied in London, she had to go to a telephone booth every few weeks and talk to her parents for about ten minutes. I’m such a home body and really love my family and being away from them is going to be hard. I have such a strong support system at New Paltz and back home that I’m afraid I’ll feel lost once I get there. I’m trying to focus on the positives though!
As far as packing goes, I am taking one suitcase and two backpacks. I started packing or as my grandma likes to call it “sketching” my wardrobe and am careful considering what are the must-haves. I usually like to prepare for everything but in this case I am packing light and sticking to the basics. Scotland isn’t known for it’s warm weather so packing things that I can layer to keep me warm are a must.
I think my leaving is hitting people harder that it is for me at the moment and I’m worried I’ll start panicking at the last minute but all in all, I think I’m going to have a great time.
Dani is majoring in Metal with a minor in Art History and will be taking classes at the University of Dundee in Jewellery and Metal Design. Dani is excited to improve her skills as a designer and live in Scotland for five months! She has never been abroad and looks forward to meeting people and learning about Scottish culture.
Preparing for Scotland
As of now, I’m really excited to study abroad. Right now I’m getting caught in up packing, doubling checking that I have everything, and trying to see as many people as I can. That hasn’t left me a lot of time to think about my decision or second guess myself which I’m really thankful for. Scotland looks incredible. I’m a sucker for castles and history so it’s right up my alley. I haven’t been anywhere outside the country before so it’s quite a leap to not only travel outside the country but to also live there for five months.
At New Paltz, I call my parents every day…needless to say that will not be the case when I go to Scotland. We’ve worked out that I’ll talk to them every Sunday night instead. FaceTime and Skype will make it a lot easier to say in touch with them though. When my mom studied in London, she had to go to a telephone booth every few weeks and talk to her parents for about ten minutes. I’m such a home body and really love my family and being away from them is going to be hard. I have such a strong support system at New Paltz and back home that I’m afraid I’ll feel lost once I get there. I’m trying to focus on the positives though!
As far as packing goes, I am taking one suitcase and two backpacks. I started packing or as my grandma likes to call it “sketching” my wardrobe and am careful considering what are the must-haves. I usually like to prepare for everything but in this case I am packing light and sticking to the basics. Scotland isn’t known for it’s warm weather so packing things that I can layer to keep me warm are a must.
I think my leaving is hitting people harder that it is for me at the moment and I’m worried I’ll start panicking at the last minute but all in all, I think I’m going to have a great time.
Danielle Epstein
Dani is majoring in Metal with a minor in Art History and will be taking classes at the University of Dundee in Jewellery and Metal Design. Dani is excited to improve her skills as a designer and live in Scotland for five months! She has never been abroad and looks forward to meeting people and learning about Scottish culture.
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