By Ayo Williams
Travelling is something that I have always wanted to do, it’s new, fun, and adventurous. I also want the opportunity to get out of this town, since I’ve lived here my entire life. The only issue was my anxiety didn’t think it was a good idea to go. Anxiety quickly filled my head with a million what ifs: What if I have a panic attack on the flight? (I generally fly twice a year and this has yet to happen), What if I get sick or kidnapped or a million other things that could go wrong but won’t. The what ifs could go on and on. In fact, I could probably fill a book with all the worries that didn’t happen. I had finally got tired of it and decided that I had only two choices: I could either stay here and enjoy the company of my anxious thoughts or I could ignore it and actually live my best life. I chose the latter and applied to Study Abroad!
I am now on track to go to London in December and I am absolutely terrified, but I am going to do it anyway. I locked myself into this commitment by agreeing to pay a $100 application fee, one that becomes a few hundred dollars if I decide to back out, which I can’t really afford to do. Although I’m scared, I’m really proud of myself for doing this, because I decided to make an effort to control my life instead of letting it control me. Life is short, so don’t spend it dwelling on the what ifs.
For more information about studying abroad, you can go to the Study Abroad website at https://studyabroad.olemiss.edu/.