Here we go again...

Once again, I am 'going on an adventure' as dear Bilbo Baggins states in the Hobbit. This time around the destination is not quite as far away and the time span not quite as long. Nevertheless, the adrenaline is already coursing through my veins and my heart is beating fast with excitement and nervousness. I am headed to England. Exeter, to be precise. I will be studying English and History at the University of Exeter for a semester; from September to January I will call this beautiful old city my home. Preparations have been underway for the better part of the last seven months and though the road has been rocky at times, I am (mostly) prepared to lift off tomorrow and fly over to England. One of the most challenging aspects of this whole 'adventure' so far has been finding a place to stay during my semester abroad. You'd think that Exeter would be used to hosting exchange students that only stay for five months or less, but it can be surprisingly tough to find an (affordable) place to stay for such a short duration. So if you are planning your semester abroad right now: Look for accommodation as early as possible! I spent the better part of August frantically messaging and calling people, since I hadn't been able to secure accommodation up to that point. There were setbacks and at times it seemed quite overwhelming, but in the end I was incredibly lucky. Not only did I find a place to stay that I could actually afford (without bankrupting my parents), but my new housemate seems to be a perfect fit for me, even though she is about twelve years older than I am. We share a lot of interests (even some of the nerdier ones) and instantly clicked when we talked over Skype. She also has two cats and since I adore pets this will likely be a great addition to my life for those five months. Her job also involves History and I cannot wait to learn more.
I believe that this will be a wonderful experience, however, I am not afraid to admit that it is also quite nerve-wracking at the moment. I will finish packing my bags now and prepare everything for tomorrow. Bye-bye Germany, once again!