So, I'm really going... in 4 days!

Backpack purchase from Scheels - check
Exit procedures for my job - check
Several trips to the thrift store to get rid of excess possessions - check
Trouble with packing because I want to bring my entire scarf collection - check
Going away party preparations - check

I think I'm ready. This is it! Only 4 days. FOUR MORE DAYS. My life is about to change in the most dramatic way since before I can remember. Not only am I moving to Germany for an unknown length of time, but I am also leaving my job (with no plans for my next source of income) and moving out of my current residence (with a very gracious former professor). There is a lot to think about!

I'm trying really hard to be prepared, but it's hard to prepare for the unknown. Not hard - it's impossible. How am I going to be effective in teaching English to my host parents? Will I ever find a job while abroad? How long will I be there? Where will I travel? Who will I travel with? How expensive is all of this going to be? How can I legally stay in Europe even after my 90 days "visa" runs out? I have so many questions, and it's making the time fly :)

A couple of days ago (ok, so maybe it was yesterday but the days are all blurring together at this point), my supervisor asked me if I had set any goals for my upcoming adventure. I thought that sounded like a really good idea, but I hadn't really taken the time to put my aspirations into writing. So, here it goes. My first draft of my goals for my time abroad:

1)  Do my best to learn the German language. This involves speaking in German with locals, taking classes, and hopefully completing a test to figure out my actual proficiency level.

2) Develop and maintain a positive relationship with my host family. Get to know each family member by asking about their stories, their values, their dreams, and their fears.

3) Travel around Europe - use Couchsurfing.com to find free accommodation and meet interesting people who share my love for learning, discovering new places/people/things, and having fun. Meet up with old friends who I may have met in Australia (that's a stretch since it has been 5 years now) or past exchange students at MSU!

4) Keep family and friends updated with this blog and Skype chats. My good friend Mikaela has told me that I need to write every single day for my first week in Germany. We'll see about that...

5) Learn to cook. Seriously. I'm almost 25 years old and have no idea what I'm doing in the kitchen.

6) Make professional connections by visiting universities and American study abroad provider sites. Offer to volunteer, hand out my resume, and put myself out there! This adventure is the perfect opportunity to advance my career in international education.

7) Learn more about German history and understand the ways that historical events have shaped the current culture.

8) Become a soccer fan. I have to at least try.

9) Find a beer that I can stand the taste of. I'm going to be in Germany for Oktoberfest, enough said.

10) Most important goal of them all - make friends!!!

I will write again soon. I'm busy packing ;)