15 more days :)

In 15 days, 5 hours, and 45 minutes I will have boarded the plane for Wien and will be looking out the window towards DC for my last time in 11 months. I cannot begin to explain the feelings that I have felt these past few weeks. There have been days of giddy excitement, nervous anticipation, and nearly everyday I have wondered what challenges and incredible opportunities will be awaiting my arrival in Österreich.
As of yesterday I officially have all the paperwork that I need to obtain my VISA once I reach Wien. The final document was a background check that is required for all students over the age of 17. So many people look forward to their 18th birthdays, but how many of these people get the chance to travel halfway across the world to emmerse themselves into a culture without any ties to their family or friends? I am trully blessed and incredibly lucky to have been presented with Rotary Youth Exchange and to have been selected as an exchange student on top of that. I am thrilled to be a student ambassador for the United States, but even closer to home, Texas.