Goodbyes

These past few days I've had to say a lot of goodbyes. For some reason, most of my friends' school start a week before KU. Again, showing KU's superiority to other universities. So that said, the goodbyes have begun for my friends here in the STL. I have about another week or so here, and then its off to Europe. I know I've said this about 1000 times, but it STILL has not hit me. I was talking to another friend who is studying abroad in Spain (hopefully I will be visiting while I'm there). She leaves in a few days and said it still hasn't hit her either, so that makes me feel a little better about this whole I'm-not-really-going-to-England thing. However, lying in a rather large pile about 3 feet away from me right now is a pile of luggage and other things I'll be taking with me. Its been decided we're shipping one box of stuff, but everything else will be traveling with me via manual labor. The pile is actually pretty small considering how my time seems to be dwindling. I feel so unprepared, like I should have been reading more about where I'm going and memorizing things that all the British kids have known since they were like 4. Instead I'm going over there knowing nada. Well, not nada, but close enough. I just looked up the current prime minister because I didn't know (David Cameron in case you were wondering). In terms of being prepared, though, I have done a few things. Today we bought a ton of TSA regulation liquid containers, extra laundry detergent, a swiss army knife, and some TSA regulation luggage locks (all exciting items, I know). When it comes to physical things, I'm set. I have all the luggage I need, all the clothes, all the toiletry stuff, bedding, books, and what not. Its the non-physical things I've got a few concerns about.
 And below are some pictures from my adventures this winter break, mostly because I think blogs look much more fun with pictures: