[Originally published August 2017]
Packing. It's proving to be a "trial by fire" type scenario. I know what you're thinking, "Kadee! You've moved several times. You've even lived out of the country before!" Okay, you might not be thinking exactly that, but I definitely am.
Here's the deal, moving across the country is one thing, but moving across the world is another. Now, let me pause you - living in China was very temporary. One suitcase, 8 business-casual outfits to teach in and enough t-shirts to explore the countryside in, and I was set! I didn't even bring hair products! But moving house and relocating to another country for an indefinite (shhhh, don't tell my mom) amount of time has me doing some serious soul searching as far as "needs" and "wants" are concerned.
I swear I've had a good purge at least three times since I moved home in April, yet somehow I keep needing to downsize. Where's the humanity?! Miraculously, I managed to get nearly everything I needed into two medium sized boxes and two medium sized suitcases. I'm going to pull a George Banks (If you haven't seen Father of the Bride stop reading immediately and educate yourself, please) and tell you that it cost me $450 to ship all that glorious crap to England. #WorthIt
Now please, don't hate me. But I can genuinely say that getting in to grad school has been the easiest part of this entire process. I know, a shock to me as well, seeing as how it was the most meticulous, detail oriented thing I'd ever done in my life. But I can absolutely assure you, that obtaining my Visa to the United Kingdom was most assuredly the most painstaking and difficult experience of my life. Hands down. If you can figure out how to successfully navigate obtaining a visa and making it to your final destination, you 200% deserve to be there (still crossing my fingers that I make it there alive). I've never filled out so much paperwork or needed so many documents.
But, here we are - the final countdown. Less than two weeks to go and I've processed almost every emotion possible. Excitement. Terror. Doubt. Fear. Nostalgia. Thrill. Regret. Yet here I stand thinking, "Let's do this thing!". I've registered for orientation, I've sorted my belongings, I've filed my paperwork. GET ME TO ENGLAND! I'm as terrified as I am thrilled to start this new journey. Am I mentally or emotionally prepared for 15 credits of stats classes? Probably not. But am I totally ready utilize those 24/7 library hours? Absolutely!
Packing. It's proving to be a "trial by fire" type scenario. I know what you're thinking, "Kadee! You've moved several times. You've even lived out of the country before!" Okay, you might not be thinking exactly that, but I definitely am.
Here's the deal, moving across the country is one thing, but moving across the world is another. Now, let me pause you - living in China was very temporary. One suitcase, 8 business-casual outfits to teach in and enough t-shirts to explore the countryside in, and I was set! I didn't even bring hair products! But moving house and relocating to another country for an indefinite (shhhh, don't tell my mom) amount of time has me doing some serious soul searching as far as "needs" and "wants" are concerned.
I swear I've had a good purge at least three times since I moved home in April, yet somehow I keep needing to downsize. Where's the humanity?! Miraculously, I managed to get nearly everything I needed into two medium sized boxes and two medium sized suitcases. I'm going to pull a George Banks (If you haven't seen Father of the Bride stop reading immediately and educate yourself, please) and tell you that it cost me $450 to ship all that glorious crap to England. #WorthIt
Now please, don't hate me. But I can genuinely say that getting in to grad school has been the easiest part of this entire process. I know, a shock to me as well, seeing as how it was the most meticulous, detail oriented thing I'd ever done in my life. But I can absolutely assure you, that obtaining my Visa to the United Kingdom was most assuredly the most painstaking and difficult experience of my life. Hands down. If you can figure out how to successfully navigate obtaining a visa and making it to your final destination, you 200% deserve to be there (still crossing my fingers that I make it there alive). I've never filled out so much paperwork or needed so many documents.
But, here we are - the final countdown. Less than two weeks to go and I've processed almost every emotion possible. Excitement. Terror. Doubt. Fear. Nostalgia. Thrill. Regret. Yet here I stand thinking, "Let's do this thing!". I've registered for orientation, I've sorted my belongings, I've filed my paperwork. GET ME TO ENGLAND! I'm as terrified as I am thrilled to start this new journey. Am I mentally or emotionally prepared for 15 credits of stats classes? Probably not. But am I totally ready utilize those 24/7 library hours? Absolutely!