My other blog....

Hey everybody,

If you're interested in what the other GT President's Scholars are doing this summer, you can check out this blog site too (I'm planning on copy+pasting from this blog to that one so my stuff'll be redundant):

http://gttrips.wordpress.com/

Two of my roomies from this year are also heading to Europe this summer--they'll be posting on that website if you're curious. ^

I went to physical therapy again today to help with my weird back pain issues. They made me do some awful pilates-like core exercises, but it seems like it'll do me some good before I get on that long plane ride and then hike all over European creation. My therapist shook her finger at me when she said to keep up the exercises, as if she knew I'd forget.... So if you happen to comment on here, and it seems to you like I'm way too happy and have forgotten to do my exercises, feel free to add a postscript that says, "RACHEL DO YOUR EXERCISES!" and I will internally thank you for it. Hopefully, I'll be a totally new, physically fit person when I get back.

Official countdown: 13 days.

-Rach

Preparations Underway

In order to get the subject of "Ethics in International Affairs" out of my head so I can avoid nightmares before my 8 AM exam, I decided to update the blog. :P


Train pass. CHECK
Insurance. CHECK
Maps. CHECK
3 oz. travel toiletry containers. CHECK
Comfortable shoes. CHECK
Free plastic GTL cup. CHECK
Textbooks. NOT CHECK


It seems we have the "abroad" part down, but not the "study" part. We shall work on that.


Finals week is here! Five more days until I get to eat mom's cookin' and drink good clean NC mountain spring water.


Official countdown: 14 days.


-Rachel

Welcome!

Hey everybody!

As most of you may know, a peculiar (these days, anyway) fact about me is that I've lived in the same town, same house, same room, my entire life. And the more people I've met, the more I've realized that the chunk of territory I've covered is quite tiny, not just in global terms. Of the 50 states, I've hit about 8. If you want to get technical, Washington D.C. is checked off the list too. However, I've never been out of the country before. Frankly, it gives me the willies.

But now has come the time for me to conquer my claustrophobic tendencies and board a plane, blast through the remaining volcanic ash cloud, wonder how much longer I'll be able to sit still, and finally touch down in Paris, France. From there, if I'm lucky, I'll make it all the way to Metz by train. And thus I shall begin my study-abroad experience at Georgia Tech Lorraine. Ha, I made a rhyme...

Of course, I've got to get through 4 finals, a massive effort to pack my car (the net amount of things I own has mysteriously increased this year), and the 4315783472 packing/money/travel/communications checklists I've made/graciously received from other well-meaning people. As a bit of an afterthought, I decided to make a blog to make it a little easier for everyone who's curious about my future travels. And pictures are always fun.

So hold it in for me, Eyjafjallajokull, if you can. The countdown to lift-off begins: 18 days.

-Rachel