Packing Up & Quest Statement

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Wow, I can't believe I'm finally ready to go on study abroad to England! (Read more about the program here.)

Well, almost. I still need to make copies of my passport and some other travel documents, finish cleaning my apartment for cleaning checks, and take my creative writing final. But even that list is a huge improvement over the 50-line spreadsheet checklist I had on Sunday night. At least my suitcase is now packed and my passport is here, finally. And even though I have a stupid broken arm, I am so excited I can hardly keep from shouting at random people, "I'm going to England!"

As part of our preparation for study abroad, John Bennion had us write a personal quest statement for what we want to do, learn, and write about on the trip. Here's mine:

As an emerging writer in England, I want to explore the interconnectedness of people, their stories, and their settings. While I travel the landscapes of the great writers, I hope to understand why writers, particularly British writers, continually return to the themes of landscape for subject material, and in turn find the landscapes (physical and psychological) that have influenced my own life. I will also use this trip to explore my concept of self as it relates to other writers, my family, my relationships, and God, through writing, sketching, and interacting with other travelers. Through this trip, I hope to develop my talents as a writer and draft a rough basis for a collection of essays for my honors thesis project.

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