And the countdown begins...

56 days, but who's counting? I certainly am.

It seems like years since I began anticipating my semester abroad and months since I began submitting the forms. The never ending slew of passport photos, essays, VISA applications and probably about a thousand questions to IAP and Arcadia are finally nearing their end. I think my Academic, IAP and Arcadia advisers will all be happy to see me go so they won't have to deal with my constant bombardment of questions: Which form is this? Do I need to fill this out? Did I do this right? Do you need a copy of this? OK--so maybe I'm a little neurotic!

But soon, I will be boarding my plane from Boston's Logan Airport to a country I've always dreamed about spending time in. In a short few months and seven-hour plane ride, my life will be totally transformed.

A native of Andover, Massachusetts, a small suburban town 25 miles north of Boston, I've grown up on fresh seafood, the Boston Red Sox, hockey and all those distinctively North Eastern traditions, a lot of which I've always thought, or at least hoped, are deeply routed in the old English ways of the region. I've walked the freedom trail, seen the Boston Tea Party and woke up at 4 am to watch the reenactment of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. American-British history has been deeply embedded in me since I was a child and has always fascinated me. I've longed to travel to the other side of the story and pond.

England inspired Shakespeare, Dickens and Austen to write their greatest works and The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John and The Clash to sing their most famous songs. While I have never been, I have escaped to London in novels, movies and history. The city of London has always drawn me in. Walking the streets of the city will be a stark contrast to my familiar routes. I'll definitely get lost in the process but maybe the city will inspire me too, or hopefully at least provide some entertainment for all of you out there surfing the web in a fit of procrastination or boredom!

So I'm off to discover history and myself, and if all else fails, maybe my British husband, equipped with a sultry accent, of course!