Leanna's Adventure: Study Abroad: September 2012

Tomorrow's the big day! I leave Seattle for 10 weeks! I haven't been away from home for this long before! I know there's going to be so much to miss, but so much to see too!

Packing has been interesting...I have no idea how much stuff I need to bring, so I (of course) over packed. I bought another bright blue and purple bag, so I should be able to have enough stuff! The plan is that it will double as my bag for when we go on our little side trips. I've printed all my info on how to get to the apartment, and airline stuff!

Before I leave for Europe, however, Gabe and I are going to Jess and Doug's wedding in Pennsylvania. I had to iron his shirt and learned this fantastic tidbit: If you spritz the shirt with white vinegar, and then iron with a dry iron, it comes out flawless! I've been having issues with that shirt for a while.

I think I'm both excited and nervous. I've never flown by myself before...that should be interesting. I've never had to put my luggage in the overhead bin myself :) I know what life is typically like when Gabe and I are in school, but things have been so perfect at home lately, that I'm going to miss that even more. There really is no "it'll be a nice break from home." I don't know if that's the new marriage or the awesomeness of my husband talking, but I will definitely miss home. And worry. I mean, whose going to remember to water my orchids every Thursday? Or remember to clean Chester's cage. Or go grocery shopping? I know that Gabe's planning on being extra busy while I'm gone... I need to stop worrying!

Anywhoo...The plan is with this blog is to write exactly as if it were my journal. If that bothers some people, I apologize, but there will be stuff that is more interesting than how worried I am about my husband. :)

I'll write more once I get settled! Until then!

So in April of 2012, I received the Faye Wilson Merit Scholarship at the University of Washington, Seattle campus. Realizing the enormity of the scholarship, I though "OMG! With this I could study abroad," and the next day, a guy from the Comparative History of Ideas department came to one of my classes, and told us about the different options for studying abroad. It seemed like a sign to me, and I brought it up to my fiance. He thought that it might be possible, but it would be difficult! So I applied for the program to go to Prague, got accepted, and found out that my financial aid and scholarship completely covered the cost!

I will be leaving on September 28th, from Newark Airport, and landing in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, on Sunday, the 29th. I will immediately move into an apartment with 2 or 3 other girls (and I thought I was done with roommates!) in the middle of Prague, and classes start the next day, on October 1st!

As part of the study abroad program, we will be visiting 4 other countries:

October 5-7: Vienna, Austria
-> Vienna is the capital of Austria, and is known for being the "City of Music" for it's musical history, but it was also the home of Freud. Austria is part of the European Union, and therefore, it's currency is in Euros. As of 8.17.2012, $1USD = .80 €. Austria (and Prague) is 9 hours ahead of Seattle. That means that if i stay up late, and watch ESPN 3, I can probably watch the Gator and Husky games! For the most part, Austria and Germany were under the same government, until the mid 1800s, when the Austro-Prussian war happened, and Austria had to leave the German Confederation. So they teamed up with Hungary, and formed Austria-Hungary. After World War I, however, with the whole assasination of Archiduke Ferdinand and his wife by a Bosnian Serb, the Allied Powers dissolved that partnership, and we got Austria and Hungary!

October19-22: Krakow, Poland
-> Poland is NOT part of the EU, and uses Zlotys for their currency. As of 8.17.2012, $1USD = $3.30 PLN. I honestly don't know anything about Poland, other than it was the first country that Germany invaded during World War II. They make the best version of hot dogs, and have amazing pastry's called Piroshky's. We get them down at Pike place sometimes :) Krakow is also 9 hours ahead of Seattle.

November 3-6: Berlin, Germany
-> Germany is the financially strongest part of the EU, and because of that, there has been a lot of talk that they might leave the EU soon, so keeping an eye out for that! I'm especially excited to see the Berlin Wall, and museums! I'm not sure how i feel about german food, but we'll experiment! Germany is 9 hours ahead of Seattle, and is also on the Euro. I'm super excited to see the effect that the World Wars have had on Germany. Also, I'm hoping to meet up with a friend from Germany who was an exchange student last year, possibly going to Oktoberfest?

November 19-22: Budapest, Hungary
-> Hungary is part of the EU, but it doesn't use the Euro...it uses the Forint. as of 9.1.2012, $1USD= $225.87 HUF. The first time I had heard of Hungary outside of WWI was in my favorite movie, My Fair LAdy, a film adaptation to the play Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw. The story argues that by speaking properly, one can raise their social standing. It uses a poor flower girl from the street named Eliza Doolittle, and eventually, she goes to the queens ball, and the upper class society there believed that she was a Hungarian princess :) An awesome twist on the classic Cinderella story. Outside of that, and its involvement in the start of World War I, I really don't know anything about Budapest! I'm super excited to learn all about it though! I will be spending my Thanksgiving in Budapest, however! We'll see what that's like! Budapest is also 9 hours ahead of Seattle.

During my time abroad, I will have my last set of roommates: Elizabeth, Amanda, and Kelly. Gabe will come visit the week before Thanksgiving. I will be arriving back home on December 8th, around noon! If you would like to contact me, please use Facebook, this blog, or email, as I won't have a phone that can call to the US while I'm gone!

Prague