T-minus One Week

     The hardest thing about writing is actually starting. Actually, the hardest thing about anything is the beginning: opening a can, going to school for the first time, leaving your parents, family and loved ones, turning in an application . . . but it is so worth it.
     This is my first post on my first blog on my first extended trip abroad. I am going to Ireland with my sister for the Spring 2013 semester, and it was not easy getting to where I am now. We will be leaving a week from today, and I still have a massive "To Do" list that (thankfully) grows shorter every day.
     So what do I decide to do? Mess around on my computer, make more lists, and generally participate in what a good friend of mine calls "productive procrastination". All of the major paperwork is done (and there was a lot of that, so if you're planning to study abroad, please start early) and I have everything needed to get into the country, so panic and motivation to chip at the To Do list is not as high as it should be. But, since "post something to blog" is on the list, I thought I'd start out this morning with the easiest and most enjoyable task, writing.
     The name of my blog came from a conversation via facebook, where I asked for ideas on what to call it. I think I may have let some people down by not choosing their name, or being as creative with the title as I should have. To everyone who submitted an idea, thank you! Aside from my brother's, each one was creative, clever, and much appreciated. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Adventures from The Land of Leprechauns
• There and Back Again (Tolkien, but apt for any adventure ;))
• Whilst Kissing the Blarney Stone
• The Blarney Blog
• From Ireland With Love! . . . & Beer
• The Original (my last name) Pub Crawl

     I went with "If You're Lucky Enough" because I think it can go on past my study abroad experience, and be applied to other parts of life as well. I think too, that people sometimes forget how lucky we are to be who we are, and the chances we have to change that. I don't want to sound like a Pollyanna; indeed, I have a feeling one of my posts will end up reading "If you're lucky enough to have lost your passport like me . . . "  and hopefully the sarcasm will translate.
     This blog was created to catalog and provide insights on my upcoming trip to Ireland, but I hope it will become more than that. I've got a few days left to get everything together before I leave for the trip of a life time, so this post is ending . . . now.

Thanks everyone, and Merry Christmas!

♥C