As the PDO approaches, and my departure day, which is not set in stone yet, draws nearer, the fact that I will be leaving my sheltered existence in Nantucket and traveling halfway across the world to live in a place I have never been, and with people I have never met, has become more real to me. The thought of a year abroad to Oman has seemed like a daydream for so long; something that would be amazing yet still not real. The reality that I will, in the end of August, be getting on a plane and hugging my parents goodbye in order to go to Oman, really only hit me a couple weeks ago.
With the realization that, yes, I am going to Oman in about three months, comes a bit of aprehension. I am not afraid that anything bad will come of this experience; on the contrary, I know that my year abroad will be a time of amazing growth and exploration. However, this doesn't mean I can't be a little nervous! I found out which school I will be attending next year, the Azzan bin Qais International School (http://bawshar.azzanbinqais.com/) and am so excited. My excitement is now mixed with a little bit of nervousness.
About a week ago, I was very overwhelmed, unsure, and stressed. Am I ready to leave all that I know and live in Oman? I honestly don't know. I don't think that I could ever be ready without having already gone; I have never experienced anything like this and have little to no idea what to expect. However, my dad advised me to just "take it as it comes", and go with the flow. This advice has helped me a lot; I have realized that, while I should prepare as much as possible, there are some things I cannot prepare for, and that stressing over these would only waste my time and energy. There is really no reason to worry; this experience will help me in innumerable ways, and be an incredible journey for me to undertake.
This week is my last full week of school, and next Wednesday, June 19th, is my last day of school at Nantucket High School. The next time I attend school I will be half a world away, in a country I have never visited. This thought is more than a little daunting. However, I chose to see this as an adventure; no matter how difficult I foresee next year being, I have a tendency to worry about things way too much. They are never as scary as I foresee them being! Keeping this in mind, I will make the most of my last few months on Nantucket, and look foreword to all Oman has to offer me.
