While I’ve enjoyed the onslaught of questions asking if I’m excited to be returning to a place that absolutely changed my life; let’s face it... there’s only so many creative ways to say “YES”.
At the same time, it’s been mentally exhausting trying to grasp all the excitement from the last week. My family all came to town last weekend for my graduation in Baldwin City, KS and I’m still coming down from my mental Cloud 9-high of that event. While I joked about wanting to do nothing more than cuddle with my degree that night, I really only had time to take a 2-hour power nap, before I had to hit the road for 20 hours to drive my belongings and I back home to Phoenix, AZ.
So you can imagine the past couple days, my body has been in this enigmatic mode of half-functioning and half-zombie. Nevertheless, no rest for the weary -- this gal shall carry on.
Not to mention, my passport picture for my UK visa got rejected by the British General Consulate because I’m smiling. Oops. I mean as fun as rejection can be, rushing to Walgreens to get a jail-like mugshot taken... is not.
Other than that, my current struggle is packing. I’m really trying to break some new grounds and travel lightly. As crazy as that sounds, for a woman especially, I know my future self will thank me later if I can accomplish the impossible.
So a lot of you have been asking me questions that I thought might be easiest to answer in one place. So here are my FAQ’s:
1)So what exactly are you doing at Harlaxton?
-I wish “living like royalty” could suffice as an answer. But in all honesty, there are actual job requirements and responsibilities I will have as a staff member. What I love is that it ranges from administrative things to photography and design work. My boss is very accommodating of the skill sets he feels I can bring to the table, so I’m excited to add to the brand of what makes Harlaxton so special to begin with!
2)Will you start speaking with a British accent, Glo?
-This is usually contingent upon the choice beverages I’ve had that night, however, I can assure you all that my British accent is as horrific as the next American’s. I plan to try and perfect it though with some practice. Never know when it could come in handy, innit? ;)
3)So what’s next after Harlaxton?
-You know, I’ve always said it’s both a blessing and curse not having a 5-year or 10-year plan for my career. I’ve always had faith in my abilities and my work ethic to place incredible opportunities in my path along the way. It’s also very easy to become too focused on one set goal and miss out on some pretty cool experiences along the way, so I’m very open when it comes to where this leads me next. For the meantime though, I don’t think it’s something to worry about as I’ve got some employment immediately after college as it is, which is enough to be grateful for.
4)When will you come back to the states?
-Lord knows. Seriously. Only He knows. I don’t. As an adventure junkie, you can only plan so far ahead before you have to rely on fate and chance to bring you to your next stop. Backpacking immediately after is the plan as of now.
5)Wait, so what exactly is Harlaxton again?
-It’s a study abroad destination for American students that offers a pretty special experience. Along with the British Studies capstone course, it allows students to study British culture, and then live it, by supplementing field trips and interaction that catalyzes student-learning. There’s also school-sponsored trips which students can take advantage of on weekends, and classes normally take place Monday through Thursday, making weekend trips that much more ideal. If you’ve never seen what the Harlaxton Manor looks like, I suggest you google it and pick up your jaw. It’s incredible. The experience is better felt than “tellt” but I hope I’ve provided enough to give you an idea.
I’m excited to start sharing some real content once I cross the pond and even more stoked to give you guys a sneak peek on a project I’ll be doing for the new year in 2014. I find inspiration in everyday things, and I’m hoping the project I start becomes an inspiration to someone else. Sorry to be vague, can’t quite share the deets yet!
So stay tuned for more on this working abroad adventure that doubles my stay and hopefully triples my experience ;)
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Double My Stay; Triple My Experience
Dec 21, 2013