it's all too much

Today was the highly official, highly fancy Duckenfield Scholars reception. It took place at the Alumni Center on campus and made me feel much more important than I actually am; however, we all need a good ego boost every now-and-again. President Barker, Jim Cross, Marty Duckenfield, and many, many others came to speak - including myself. Although I am in the throes of a most violent cold/brochistis/sinus war, I managed to get through!

It was so nice to hear about Chris Duckenfield, in whose memory this program was created. I wish I could have known him. But, in a way, I feel like I do. His memory lives on in the kind hearts of his family, who have welcomed me SO warmly. I was not expecting so many people to show up today, and it really blew me away. It encouraged me to really give it 100%, because my summer at Oxford extends far beyond myself. I am representing my family, the Duckenfield family, and the Clemson family.

I can't wait to come back and give another speech, this time in good health, and with much more interesting things to say. Just 3 more months until the flight!

ticket to ride

It's official. Today, I purchased the plane tickets that will be carrying me to Europe.

Wow.

It's a crazy feeling, thinking that I'll be doing something this big on my own. I've traveled abroad before: to the Bahamas with Clemson Wesley, to Ghana with Dr. Huntington's Maymester program. Both of those times, however, I was with large groups of people. For the first week of my trip, I will be completely on my own, backpacking throughout Scotland as a precursor to my academic experiences at Oxford. In five months, will I actually be doing this? Will I, that awkward girl from the boondocks of South Carolina, be in Europe? I have my confirmation numbers, so apparently so.

Scary would be one way to describe it. Awesome is the world I prefer.