Preparing for the Longest Flight of my Life

It’s official; I leave for the sunny Gold Coast in just a few short days! As the days seemed to pass faster and faster, my list of to-dos seemed to get longer and longer. For instance, I had to be an adult and buy my own luggage. Believe it or not, my parents did not allow me to take theirs for four months! Packing is also giving me fits; I like to be prepared, but how can I be prepared if I don’t bring my entire wardrobe and then some just to be safe?

All those minute details aside, I have had mixed feelings as I prepare to go abroad. Excitement overrides the nerves currently, though I am sure that come the day before I board the plane, I will say that I don’t need to go anymore (the same thing happened the day of junior prom haha). The single digits and the anticipation of what is to come has brought me to coping the ways I know how – extreme organizing, rewatching my favorite TV shows, and being out on the water, ignoring life on land.

I would say these emotions are valid given what I am taking on. This will be my first solo trip internationally, and the longest I have ever been away from my family. I am a frequent flier with my family, but I do not pay attention in airports! My dad carries my passport, and I follow him around like a duckling. Getting lost is a huge fear of mine, and one that I believe I will be tackling the moment I get to the airport and will not stop until I arrive back at Hope next year. Along with that, I am worried about suffering from the joy-sucking disease that is FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) from my friends at Hope, too. I am nervous about meeting new people and making friends, not to mention making a good impression on the people whose country I will be residing in.

There are many moving parts to this trip, so many that I often question my sanity when I think about the logistics, but that is what a leap of faith is. There has to be a reason that my heart is being pulled so strongly to the salty waters of Australia, and as Belle says, “I want adventure in the great wide somewhere”. Despite being a homebody, my soul longs to travel beyond the borders of what it has seen. I am ready to make a new life for myself. 

Therefore, despite all of the nerves and the list of things to do in preparation for the biggest adventure of my life, I am trying to bask in the beauty of the unknown.

Published by Maddy Baughman

Class of 2024 English and Language Arts Elementary Education Major TEAN Gold Coast, Australia

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