Flight=Set; There's no turning back.

Well, now that I have known about this trip for about two months, it has come time to start booking everything. A part of me was really nervous about starting to book flights, hotels & train passes because most of this is non-refundable. This scares me. Even though traveling is my dream, I don't have much experience yet--what if something comes up and dates change or times switch? It's been difficult coming up with the cash to make it this far, so I definitely can't just take an unexpected changes in stride. This is my first time leaving the country, and to top it off, I'll be making my friends along the way instead of taking them with me.

Luckily, thanks to the Vira I. Heinz Scholarship, this trip has become much more affordable. I would have never even dreamed of attempting to achieve this dream if it weren't for the scholarship. I feel so blessed and am more excited than ever to be planning this trip!

After being accepted into the program a few weeks ago, I had to wait until after the first of the year to begin filling out paperwork and planning payments for my classes and all that. The other day, I got my course schedule. I was relieved to find that I was accepted into both of the classes that I was hoping to take: Ceramics & Italian Language for Beginners. My excitement is indescribable, but I will try...

When I was a little kid, I had this book where I kept track of everything in grade school. It had this cheesy little format for things like "Who was your best friend?" "How tall were you?" "What did you want to be when you grow up?" Every year since first grade, I listed a range of vocations that I dreamed of taking up when I "grew up." These jobs varied from scientist to teacher to artist...and poet. I'd long since forgot about this book until a few weeks ago during a weekend when I was home from college. When I saw "poet" listed under every single year, I laughed to myself and confirmed that I'm in the right major. Sucking in that feeling of complacency in the extraordinary--that feeling of knowing that I'm where I am supposed to be--is the greatest feeling in the world.

Aside from finishing up my paperwork for my trip, I'm really looking forward to the Scholarship retreat in Pittsburgh at the end of March! I have the highest expectations for this upcoming year, and I pray that they will be fulfilled.