Life abroad.

I have found out so much about myself on this trip and its only just begin. I know I am a lot more grown up than I had previously thought. I know am I prepared for more adult things in life and that I want to include more art, music, theater, and genuine passion in my life. I want to be living my life to the absolute fullest. Something Natalie said today stuck with me. She said while we are on this trip we are doing things we normally would not do. We are putting ourselves out there and not worrying about the consequences. She said that we should do that when we return home as well, and I completely agree! I need to be doing everything I possibly can with the time that I am given. I need to tell people how I feel. I need to do things that inspire me. I need to write and paint and cook. I need to live a life full of passion. This is one of the things that I love about traveling. I learn so much about myself and how I want to live, however I desperately need to apply the things I learn to my life when I return home. And I did for a little while when I returned from Germany, however I am really going to make a conscious effort this time around. I am going to apply this to the gospel in my life as well. However at the present moment I should be taking a shower and then sleeping.

Goodnight or good morning to those where ever you may be!
Sydney

In the land of one thousand welcomes

I am finally in Ireland! Today we flew all day and went to Malahide castle. The grounds were amazing! I have made some fantastic friends with some girls on the trip! Its always great when you make friends by feeling out over TV shows and books! Tomorrow we are going to the cliffs of Mohr which were the cliffs used as the cliffs of insanity in the princess bride! We are also going Ennis island and biking around it tomorrow! Its going to be loads of fun! Well I'm waiting for my mom to call me on skype so I better go!

Sydney

I'm closing up shop for awhile!

Alright guys! I'm feeling much, MUCH better after a full nights sleep, and I couldn't be more excited! I will try to keep this updated as much as possible! I've got a very long drive ahead of me!

Sydney

Growing up and moving on.

I'm honestly so scared right now. I have yet to be in a different country without a family member or friend. I know that this is a trip of a lifetime and I've been dreaming of it for basically my entire life, but I am so nervous that everything is going to go wrong, that something will happen and I won't get to go, or that something will get stolen or lost while I am there. I just wish I wasn't such a worrier, and with my anxiety on top of that this is not fun. I can't take any medication for my anxiety because I haven't been prescribed any, which I think was stupid on my part, and I should have let my counselor know how crippling it actually does become. I should be over the moon at this point. I am excited I promise, but I am so nervous that I feel like I am going to throw up.

The scene from Tangled where Rapunzel is worrying about the lanterns not being everything she hoped for but also worrying about if they are better than what she hoped for comes to mind. I have been dreaming about London since I was a little girl, and I want this so badly, but what happens when I do fall in love with the city, and can't go back? I know it will be everything that I have dreamed of and more, I'm not worried about it not being as good as I've dreamed it to be, but, what I literally just realized is, that, I would like to share this very large step in my life with the people that I love. Yes I can send postcards and stay connected through the internet, but I want some of the people that I love to be there with me.

I have a 12 hour drive that I have to drive by myself ahead of me and I can freak out and calm myself down then. I think that is part of the reason I am so scared. Is that I really dislike making disissions on my own, and I have never driven that long and far on my own. What I think I fear the most is that because of this and the things that I am doing, I am becoming an adult. I am 19. This is my last year as a teenager, I feel as if my childhood is slipping from my grasping hands.

I have a very hard time truly expressing my deep, heartfelt feelings and that is why I struggle with relationships that are anything more than platonic.  I really, really, REALLY want this you guys. I don;t want to be this worried and scared. What can I do to get rid of this debilitating fear and anxiety?

Sydney

Posting with the tablet!

Just trying out the tablet, because that is the device I will be using to update this blog while I'm in the UK. Hopefully this is working. It's gonna be a pain to type long posts on this. Oh well life is pain.

Study abroad information

Hi guys!

I just wanted to inform you of what will be going on while I am on my study abroad. I will be posting on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and here on my blog. I will not be sending out daily updates like I did on my Trip to Germany, however when I get the chance to send out an email I will. I will have a global phone, but because it costs and arm and a leg, you will want to contact me via internet. If you want to track me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Tumblr I will be using the tag #sydneyabroad2013

Hopefully I can keep everyone as updated as I can! I am so excited and I can't wait to share this experience with everyone!

Some of you know that I made a travel blog. I will be updating that more frequently due to the fact that I will be traveling! Hopefully I can add some pictures, but because I am taking a tablet and not a laptop this time, pictures will be sparse until I can get to a computer!

Good luck to everyone in whatever you are doing! Wish me luck!

Sydney