It's a surreal feeling to say that this is my last weekend at home (in the country, even) for the next few months. I'm a jumble of excitement and nerves and inexplainable feelings, and am so scatterbrained I can't even pack my bags efficiently as I sit here with my backpack, carry-on, and piles of odds and ends cluttered all around me. Are these shirts really going to last me from January to June? Will this be versatile in Rome, Santorini, and London? But let's be real, I probably need to lessen my load now because I have a problem with overpacking (and shopping, but that's a problem I'll have to deal with abroad).

The bigger question is, am I really ready for this? I always assumed I would study abroad at some point and it was one of those college experiences I just had to have, but applying for this spring was a bit of a last-minute decision and although I know there's so much to be gained, at this point I kind of just want to sit in the comfort of my parents' home forever. I'm worried about all of the things that could happen in the time that I'm gone, and I want to make sure they know I am forever grateful for this opportunity and all that they do for me. It's a bit different from being kicked out of the nest to go to college because even then we're still in the same country; this time I'm really off on my own in this big world... Though I'm sure they are just as excited to see me off on this adventure of a lifetime as I am to be going.

I've spent the past week in major preparation mode, opening new checking accounts and buying all of the necessities (apparently deodorant and sunscreen are hard to get your hands on in Italy...?), and seeing friends for one last time before we're separated by thousands of miles and inconvenient time zones. I also had a little french cafe date with my mama and lots of doggy cuddles with my main squeeze. Yesterday I crossed one more thing off of my list of things to do before I leave and day-tripped to San Francisco with one of my best friends to see the sights and reunite with Karl (the San Francisco fog, in case you were wondering - he's real big on Instagram and Twitter). There's just something about the city that makes me fall in love with it many times over every time I visit and now I'm even more excited to explore new cities abroad. Following that, this weekend is all about spending time with my family and keeping calm until my overseas adventures begin and I bid Ciao, ci vediamo! to California.