7 days to go and I'll finally be in Europe for Exchange! Getting to this point hasn't been easy - it all started with a 10 second window that probably would have changed everything had I hit the right button, but that's that, and I'm still going for exchange, even if it took me a lot more effort than it did for other people. If you think you're having a bad time prepping for exchange, feel free to talk to me and I promise you my experience was probably worse.

As cheesy as it sounds, I really am so thankful for the friends & family who showed me unwavering patience and support. There were so many speed bumps along the way and it was those who took the time to make my problems their own, express sympathy when things couldn't work out, and of course keep me ever enthusiastic that it would all be worth it in the end. I'm actually quoting some random dude from SMU Confessions here - "but it's simple, just never give up on the one who never gave up on you!" And it's so true. People who are true friends don't give up on you no matter how tough and stupid things get. They stand their ground, scream at you, or talk you through till you're OK again. Real friends don't ignore you when the world turns to shit and hiccups happen, and probably will keep in contact with you even when you're far away, because really guys, I'll be back in January, and that's a lot faster than you think.