Seven Days

In seven days time..I will be in Bologna. Beginning my year abroad and taking a huge leap into the unknown. 

I have to say seven days because I feel it sounds longer than one week or 'this time next week' in which I start to panic and flap around like a headless chicken. 

Many of my friends who are also doing year abroad's with ERASMUS have already arrived at their destinations and knowing I am next is terrifying, yet seeing how they are all enjoying it is extremely comforting. 

I haven't updated this blog for a while because I have been on holiday with my boyfriend. We went to Tenerife and had a 'fantabulous' (my personal favourite adjective) time. 

It was so pleasant to just escape all the stresses. I am someone who can hide and contain stress fairly well. If you were to spend time around me you would probably have no idea how anxious and stressed I am right now. 

So this holiday was just bliss. To be able to empty my mind of thinking too hard, read a great book (Divergent for those wandering) and have fun. I got to see Dolphins, Orca Whales, Sea Lions, Penguins and lots of my other favourite animals, I got to spend time at one of the best and most renowned water parks in Europe and drink a tonne of Sangria whilst soaking up the sun. 

 It was also kind of sad to leave as it marked the end of our 'real' time together before I leave for Italy (even though I will obviously see him this week around work) and I am well aware of how difficult the next year will be. 

Anywhoo....trying to think about it as a positive rather than negative thing because after all, I did chose to do this. I was not forced into it and I need to enjoy and relish every moment of this opportunity. 

The organisational aspect of things are going okay, I'm just trying to make a list of everything to take, get all my paperwork together. Keeping my diary updated is currently keeping me sane whilst I start saying goodbye to friends and family. 

I have been doing a LOT of thinking recently too, about the future and all it holds. When I started my degree I was completely set on teaching I was just unsure as to what age group. I am now re-thinking all of my life decisions. I am definitely still interested in teaching but a part of me wants to do something completely different, whatever that is. 

I'm having one of those periods where I want to be everything. I watched a series on Midwives and now I want to be a midwife. I recently have been involved in a bit of politics and want to be a politician or go into law. Then a big part of me is interested in journalism (particularly fashion and beauty) but knowing how competitive and popular those careers are is daunting and overwhelming, and therefore off-putting. So I'm at a bit of a life-crossroads and I'm hoping this next year abroad will help me towards figuring that out.

I've been looking for some inspirational quotes everywhere recently and I'll just post a few of my favourites (sorry to Alex for stealing yours but I loved it <3)"No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time."

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself"

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional"

And perhaps the most over-used, corny quote of all time, but one I live by...

"When one door closes, another one opens"