Flipping things upside down again!

Today marks one year since my entire life was turned upside down.

Today, I flipped my entire life upside down again. Only this time, the flipping was on my terms.

Good news; I booked my airfare and signed my accommodation contract today!!!!

I have consulted with many friends who've studied abroad, and the general consensus was to arrive at least 2 weeks before orientation. Study Abroad Orientation begins on September 9. Unfortunately, I could not book my airfare until I knew if I had been allocated accommodation for the fall/spring semester.

I randomly went to the Student Union to stop in and just check on prices with STA Travel. Sadly, I learned that Friday was their last day at OU, as OU has chosen to not renew their lease and bring in a Starbucks instead. Nonetheless, my STA contact was very helpful in finding me the shortest way of getting there, even if it did cost a bit more. Thankfully, she was able to find the shortest itinerary and it cost the least! :D By going through STA Travel (http://www.statravel.com/), I was able to save about $450 on my flight(s)!!! Yeah!

Flight Details:
I am leaving Monday, August 25th, which is coincidentally OU's 1st day of the Fall semester. I am flying out of Dallas (DFW), to Philadelphia and then straight into Glasgow. My first flight leaves Dallas at 3:05 in the afternoon and I arrive in Philadelphia at 7:41 p.m. I then board another plane that departs at 9:00 p.m. and will arrive in Glasgow at 9:00 a.m. Glasgow time (which, in case you are wondering, is 3 a.m. Oklahoma time).

Housing Details:
Thankfully, I was allocated my first choice in accommodations and that is a huge relief. The difference in price between my 1st and 2nd choice in accommodation was about $1300 USD. I can use that money to fund other travel expeditions around Europe. I will be living at Winton Drive (aka "The Hall"); see http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/residentialservices/undergraduate/self-cateredaccommodation/wintondrive/.

My contract is from September 12-June 12th and I have received confirmation that I will be able to arrive on August 26th and pay about $20 USD per day to stay in university accommodation. I did receive an e-mail warning me that I may have to move from whichever summer room that I'm given into my regular fall/spring room. Nonetheless, I am happy to have early accommodation.

Note for Visitors:
I WILL be allowed to have overnight visitors in my flat. Here's what the Winton Drive Flats FAQs say about overnight guests:

13. Can my friends stay overnight?
Overnight guests may stay in your room for a maximum of three nights. There is a nominal fee to pay and guests must be registered to comply with Fire regulations.

Once I arrive, I shall check out how flexible they are on their visitor policies.

Shopping:
Even though I hate the arrival of summer, I am thankful that it's caused the stores to clearance much of their winter merchandise. Today, I hit Kohls for sweaters, cute hoodies and winter gear. I am looking for a nice rain coat/windbreaker/fleece thing and may have found it at LL Bean.

However, it is $159!!!! I like that the fleece can be zipped in and out of the jacket...so really, you're getting 2 pieces in one. As those of you near and dear to me know, I am VERY hot natured. What is YOUR thought on purchasing this?

Glasgow's yearly temperature breakdown; monthly averages in °F:

January
Avg Low: 35°
Avg High: 43°
Avg Precipitation: 3.42 in

February
Avg Low: 35°
Avg High: 44°
Avg Precipitation: 3.11 in

March
Avg Low: 37°
Avg High: 48°
Avg Precipitation: 2.93 in

April
Avg Low: 38°
Avg High: 53°
Avg Precipitation: 1.83 in

May
Avg Low: 43°
Avg High: 59°
Avg Precipitation: 1.32 in

June
Avg Low: 48°
Avg High: 63°
Avg Precipitation: 1.52 in

July
Avg Low: 52°
Avg High: 67°
Avg Precipitation: 1.95 in

August
Avg Low: 51°
Avg High: 66°
Avg Precipitation: 2.07 in

September
Avg Low: 47°
Avg High: 61°
Avg Precipitation: 2.23 in

October
Avg Low: 43°
Avg High: 54°
Avg Precipitation: 3.34 in

November
Avg Low: 38°
Avg High: 48°
Avg Precipitation: 2.62 in

December
Avg Low: 35°
Avg High: 44°
Avg Precipitation: 2.95 in

Thanks for your input!

-Vanessa

Freak-outs are okay, right?

Today I had the pleasure of running around like a chicken with my head cut off. :O

Why, you ask? Let's just say that my totally whacked out sleeping schedule is creating mayhem in my daily life.

I thought that my Pre-Departure Orientation Packet (PDOP) was due on Tuesday, May 6th. I realized last night, long about 11:45 p.m. that it was due on Monday, May 5th (TODAY)!!!

Normally, I don't freak out about these things, but I realized that I had NOT met with Allison Palmer (my favorite art history professor and mentor http://art.ou.edu/people/palmer-a.html) regarding my course equivalencies. Schedules for everyone are tight this week, as this is Finals Week. Like a trooper, she agreed to meet with me on the fly today and all is well.

Thankfully, being a Graduate student ended up being a major plus for me with the PDOP. If you are a Graduate student, the Graduate College doesn't sign off on your classes until your transcript is sent over from the exchange institution. Thus, the course equivalencies I selected can be changed in the future and I DID NOT have to track down a signature from the Dean of the Graduate College. I just needed Allison to sign off on it and, thankfully, she did! Yeah!

It looks like I will receive credit for ALL of my course work while abroad. Ironically, OU added a new degree program in Arts Management on April 19th and all but one of my courses may be equivalent to the courses offered in the Arts Management program (the other course will count as an Art History course). Talk about good timing! :)

Also, I am enrolled in 5 hours of Graduate Directed Readings this Summer with Andrew Phelan (http://art.ou.edu/people/phelan-a.html) the professor responsible by creating the Arts Management degree program. ;)

Isn't it amazing how things seem to be falling together?

-Vanessa

Ziploc Bags + Vanessa= BFF?

"Own only what you can carry with you; know language, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag." -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Let's hope that this is an effective packing tip!!! I must admit that it does seem a bit daunting to think about only taking what I ABSOLUTELY need with me on my journey. Everything else will be taking a year long sabbatical in storage.

Thankfully, friends with previous study abroad experience are proving invaluable. They have offered up incredibly helpful tips, suggestions and opinions. They have even answered bizarre questions from me with a straight face (I have the best friends).

Some of my favorite suggestions from the past week:

• "Take a ton of Ziploc bags with you! You can't find them in Europe readily and you never know when you might get bed bugs in a hostel." Point taken.
• "Waterproof your shoes; nothing says enjoyment like perpetually wet feet."
• "Be prepared to wear the same thing over and over again. Whatever you take; you'd better love it."
• "Remember, if you do need something, you CAN buy it there!"
• "You'll get good at reading maps. I promise." If only I had a dime for every time I have heard that....I would surely be a millionaire by now.

I'll keep you posted on other fun suggestions. Feel free to post your suggestions as well.

-Vanessa

Bridget Jones is onto something....

As many of you know, my Grandpa (Papa) passed away on April 16th after a brief, but courageous battle with cancer. I can rest easier knowing that he is no longer suffering, but I still miss him terribly. I have picked up the phone at least a dozen times each day to call and talk to him; to check on him; to tell him that I love him and to talk about the weather. I guess I should be directing my calls to the big operator upstairs. ;O

Before Papa passed away, I was able to share the good news of my upcoming travels and studies. Papa was quite enthusiastic; always encouraging me to, "Go and have fun. You deserve it." I won't lie, I felt so conflicted being blessed with such happy news while my Grandpa was being cursed with cancer. Perhaps Bridget Jones said it best, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces."

I take comfort in knowing that my Grandpa exited this planet knowing that I am about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, and he gave me his full blessing (apart from flying in airplanes, but I digress).

I look forward to taking the spirit of Papa with me along my journey. The life lessons he taught me light my path, and I hope to pass on the love and compassion he showed me. He will always be ever-present in my psyche and, more importantly, in my heart.

Rest well, Papa....you surely earned it. Sit back and enjoy the ride we're about to embark on....and, yes...it does involve riding in airplanes! ;)

-Vanessa

I did it!

To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive. -Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish author (1850 - 1894)

Well, folks...good news was finally bestowed upon me today. The University of Glasgow has accepted me for study in their History of Collecting program for the 2008-2009 Academic Year!!!

I was without words (a true rarity), but not without tears, when I received the news early this morning. Still groggy from late night fun at the College of Architecture, I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the e-mails this morning. They seriously picked me? Wow, this must be my destiny after all! I probably read and re-read those e-mails 25 times before calling Sobota and leaving a message in which I wept like a child (best friends are hard to find these days and she definitely earns her title). Who cares that the person spelled my name wrong twice, in two different e-mails? I still get to go...don't I? :O

I must admit that it still hasn't quite sunk in yet. I have so many things to take care of before I can even board the plane---applying for a student visa, mortgaging my life for airfare, housing and travel expenses, praying for the value of the U.S. dollar to rise, purging my accumulation of stuff and preparing to adjust to a COMPLETELY new way of life. Although it seems daunting, I am completely up for the challenge. I expect the entire process, from start to finish, to be interesting, full of mishaps, funny stories, tears, one-of-a-kind moments and ultimately, be the most life altering experience of my life.

I would like to share my experiences with the people I care about most in this world---you. I welcome your feedback, questions and/or suggestions. Let's take this amazing journey together!

See you on the road as I say hello and wave goodbye!

Love,

Vanessa

Everything is happening for a reason!

University of Glasgow, Scotland

http://www.gla.ac.uk/

"I believe everything happens for a reason. People change so that you learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right. You believe less so eventually you trust no one but yourself. And sometimes, good things fall apart so that better things can fall together." -Marylin Monroe

A Sad Day in Soonerville...

Five words for Sooner Fans:

goodbye
national
title
this
year

I'd say that a good chunk of Oklahoma never wants to see Rhett Bomar's face in this state again...including me.

Damn, I was looking forward to Tempe in January.