Pre-departure thoughts

Despite the numerous bittersweet goodbyes, it hasn’t really sunk in that I am leaving in exactly 3 days. With a suitcase waiting to be packed, I will soon be flung into the unknown, that is Europe, for 7 months - a continent full of adventure and opportunities that I currently cannot conjure.

There is a mixture of hesitation, excitement and curiousness towards my journey abroad. Hesitant for the leap beyond my comfort zone, excited for the new experiences i’ll make, and curious with how i’ll grow from them.

And as I write this, I am realising how much goddamn stuff I still need to do. Of course, in classic Jo fashion, I realised today that Citibank (a branch known for its lack of international fees) does not in fact have ATMs in Amsterdam. And with it being too late to order another debit card, I will indeed have to incur the very fees I was sure to avoid :) Lesson 1: Do your research and don’t assume