Getting Ready

It’s the end of May and I’m putting the finishing touches on my trip abroad. I’ve done the bulk of the necessary planning. Most of the paperwork is done, and the passport is in the mail. It should arrive within the next two or three weeks. But before I go any further, let me write a quick refresher, since this is my first post in the travel blog.

This fall I’ll be heading to Freiburg, Germany, where I’ll be staying the entire semester. It is a specific program through IES, in which I’ll be studying the European Union. Because of where my interests lay — as well as a certain lack of requirements in other fields — I’m tentatively planning to take four politics classes and an intermediate German course. The classes cover a broad range of topics relating to the EU, ranging from the economics of the system, to its relations with the Muslim world.

I am interested in the workings of the European Union, to be sure (I’m not sure how many people would actually make a statement like that, but regardless). To be honest, the primary reason for this trip is to see the world — or at least large parts of Europe. Because when I say that I’ll be staying in Freiburg — it’s a bit misleading. The EU program includes paid trips all across Europe, to the key institutions which make the EU function. This includes Brussells, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Frankfurt, Paris, Geneva, Budapest, Prague, and more. The specific field trips won’t be revealed until I actually arrive in Germany, however it certainly looks to cover most of Northern and Eastern Europe. At this point in time, it doesn’t look like I’ll be going to the more southern states, like Spain or Italy — but of course, when you’re in Europe, these places are only a train ride away.

I’ll be leaving August 30th, and will be returning December 19th. It’ll be only my second time on an airplane, my first time outside of the US for an extended period of time, and a chance to really nail down German. It’ll be a chance to live more independently than I have before, and to take in the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of a quite markedly different culture.

Ithaca College has large programs in London and Australia, but I’ve always heard that to get “The Full Experience,” you need to live in a country where English is a second language. Germany or Austria were my main avenues, since I’m taking German at college. And studying the European Union ties in nicely with my politics major (the Chair of the Department said that I will be “basically done” after I get back).

At this point in time, I’ve completed 90% of the paperwork required to go. I’m waiting on the passport, and then I’ll be O-K with IES. I had everything in order at school by the time I left. Right now, I’m actually focusing on getting a few recommended immunizations, as well as a cyst removed from my wrist. The surgery is going to be bothersome, requiring a total of three visits to the surgeon, as well as the actual operation which will take at least two or three hours.

But besides a few other loose ends, my main concerns right now are buying plane tickets and a notebook computer. Unfortunately, both of these are turning out to be large expenses. Roundtrip tickets from Albany, NY to Frankfurt, Germany look to be about $1000. And the 12″ Apple Powerbook is $1300. My parents are buying, but I still feel bad about dropping that sort of cash. Ultimately we’ll just have to take the plunge.

A few people who know me might be getting sick and tired about all of this. I’m nearly tired talking about it. But the plan is to set up an independent travel blog while I’m abroad. I’ll be figuring out the technical aspects in the weeks to follow, but eventually I’ll have a pared-down, distinctive section of the site, where I will be posting while I’m in Europe. Expect a lot of pictures. Probably become the main page of the site, since I’m thinking right now that I’ll stow away the rest of the blog during this time. Right now I’m not sure what will become of other parts of the site, like the conga lines I’m advertising, or the forum. I don’t know if I’ll have time to constantly administrate it all. Time will tell, but if people keep the forum nice and active (hint, hint), I’ll be more inclined to keep it afloat. That reminds me, on a last note, I plan to do a slight redesign to the menu bar, for the main sections. This will hopefully make the link to the forum stand out more, potentially adding users faster. That’s the plan, anyways.