Hi everyone! Sorry, these last two are a bit late! I got swept up in the journey home and the RA training right after that I forgot to post these last two.

But onto the letter.

Dearest Tri,

Aren’t you excited? This journey is going to teach you stuff about yourself and others that you thought was not possible. And I know. That sounds very cliche, a platitude from a musty old travel website where they’re selling you your wildest dreams on a silver platter and it seems too good to be true. But I promise it is not.

This journey will try you in several ways. If you want to avoid some of the pain that I went through, pad your laptop extra well, and DO NOT check your carry-on. It may seem extra convenient when it’s offered but I beg you to just deal with your carry-on for a bit in JFK. It will save you many hundreds of dollars and a lot of anguish. And for the first part of that sentence? Please, Please, Please pad your laptop. You may think your backpack is safe, but when it’s an Airbus with vaulted ceilings and your backpack has to go up top because there’s no seat in front of you, the laptop is in great peril when the flight attendant chucks it. You will save a thousand dollars, a lot of tears, and room in your suitcase if you just pad your laptop like your life depends on it. Because, in a study abroad setting, it feels like your life depends on it (or at least your grades do).

But, I don’t know. You may have saved some time and money if you had done this, but you would not have had the frenzied trip to Primark with some friends that became close VERY fast. Borrowing a pair of shorts from one, and a shirt from the other, you all became friends in a heartbeat. I just met one of them at the Porch today. They are great confidants, allies against weird assignments, and a good shoulder to cry on when the going gets tough. So, maybe check the bag.

This also told you that you really CAN do this. I know you think you’ve over-committed yourself for the coming year, and you are probably right. Being on the board of two clubs, doing your own research, and taking the max level of credits on TOP of being an RA is going to be extremely difficult. But if I have learned anything from London, it’s that you are one tough cookie. If you want something to get done, you will find a way to do it even if that means pulling an all-nighter during a layover after your plane was delayed 8 hours for mechanical failure (long story, don’t ask).

Overall, my biggest suggestion is to have fun. It may seem like a lot of work, and it was, but you will have the time of your life.