Well, my bags are packed, my ticket is printed and my goodbyes have been said. Yet here I sit, waiting in the airport lobby for the Lufthansa luggage check-in to open at 2:15 (so another hour and a half). As my luck would have it the airport has wifi, but unfortunately, my laptop battery is ever so kindly letting me know that I only have 26 minutes of power left. So in my final moments of battery life, I'll make my first entry.
Just a tid bit about me. My name is Findlay and I am a sophomore Film and Video Major. I've been abroad once before, for a semester in my Junior year of high school. I went to Badajoz (a city in the far western part of Spain) and, to date, it has been one of the most wonderful and rewarding experiences I've ever had. So my excitement in going to Prague has been slowly building ever since I hit the committed button on the application.
Now that I'm actually at the airport, and there really is no going back, I'm starting to think about what's going to happen when I'm in Prague: will I fall in love with the city, will this time abroad compare to Spain? I can only assume that the answer to all of my questions will be a resounding yes. But sitting in the over air-conditioned check-in lounge at the Philadelphia Airport could make even the most devote traveler begin to question what a journey will be like.
Most of the kids in my major went on a work/study program to Los Angeles. They've been there for just about a month now and have real jobs, real film experiences, which in my field is what gives you a competitive edge against the rest of the job applicants. I told myself (and my parents) that while they may be getting the better job experience, I'm getting the better life experience and that's what's more important in the long run. I know that will sink in better at 11:45 tomorrow when my flight touches down in Prague, but until then, pre-departure nerves are wreaking havoc.
So here's to a summer filled with the promise of new experiences, great locations and self-discovery. A summer that will, undoubtedly, change my view of the world and open my eyes to a new way of life. Here's to a summer in the beautiful city of Prague.