Au Revoir, Cheers, and Goodbye!

            After an extremely testing and rough year, where I can say I was mentally and emotionally put to the test on a regular basis, the summer could not have come quick enough. And with the dawn of the summer also comes one of the most exciting adventures I will ever have the opportunity to partake on. A group of kids from Notre Dame and I will be spending the next 6 weeks taking a couple classes at the ND school in London and living the dream. Included in this group are a couple of friends I already know, like my roommate and best friend Lauren Groody, and people I am surely to get to know very well.

            After coming to find out that we were accepted into the program, Lauren and I had been desperately attempting to keep our focus on our current classes and not think too much about our European quest. With finals taken and grades calculated, the past week we have been pouring ourselves over packing details and trip “must dos” using resources from everywhere like past London students and random buzzfeed articles.

            Within my final’s studying struggles, I was able to make a list of all the things I needed to do once arriving home to ensure that this trip would be one I would be fully ready for and one I would never forget:

1.     New Hair, New Mindset

This year definitely brought me some of the hardest obstacles I’ve ever had to encounter in my 20 years of life. After dealing with a multitude of injuries that stopped me from playing the game I love, a mild depression, the death of a loved one, my hardest academic class schedule, and a few other setbacks, I am simply proud that I made it through the year still standing strong. With that resolution holding fast, I decided that I needed an outwardly change to show that if I can make it through that, I can make it through anything. I firmly believe that I made it through by relying on my own values and beliefs, which carry me through every day life. After considering it for over a year now, I decided to make the plunge and color my hair. With colored hair and a fire in my soul, I now feel outwardly and inwardly the same, that I am ready for anything this summer (and life) wants to throw at me.

2.     Shopping!

Now, what would a trip be without seemingly endless amounts of shopping to prepare for anything ahead of time. (Not to mention all the shopping that’s going to be done in Europe J ). If you know me well enough, you would know that I usually reside in athletic, issue gear, garb (aka sweats, shorts, and tshirts). Well, I am making the pledge, and Lauren can hold me to it, to only wear athletic wear when working out, and look normal whenever possible. So new clothes have been bought and my new European wardrobe awaits.

3.     Hello, Blog

With all of this, I wanted to have an easy way to allow friends and family to track my adventure as I make my way across England and Europe, so this blog has ensued. I promise to try and update it with pictures and stories as often as I can to keep you all up to date on whatever awaits me in the coming weeks. I can’t wait for my adventure to start and I hope you follow me along as I go.

Cheers,

Elyse