P.S. There's More...

Funnily enough, my blog—solely meant to be used as a platform for documentation of my life—is the only place I have yet to update about my newest life changes. You'd think for someone who enjoys writing so much I would prioritise sitting down and writing a quick little life update blog; however, everything has felt quite overwhelming recently and I haven't made the effort to sit down and flesh out my emotions in writing... until today!

For those of you who don't know, I am slowly preparing for my move to the United Kingdom—specifically Nottingham, England—where I will be living for the next (at least) year studying at the University of Nottingham.

This is the most stressful and most daunting thing that I have ever spent so much time preparing for in my life. I feel like I've made talking about it a personality trait at this point but I think that's kind of valid as I have spent 2+ years working towards this exact moment.

So, yes, there's more! More travel blogs coming soon, more YouTube vlogs coming soon, and more of me finally being able to fulfil a childhood dream and sharing it here. I am also planning (and actively writing) more blogs for The Postscript Diary. I have so many ideas and topics that I'd like to write about that are not specifically travel blog-related, but are still ideas worthy of being shared with people interested in what is happening in my life—and interested in travelling, moving and studying abroad for that matter!

So, that's what this portion of my blogging website will be all about—a place where I can essentially word dump on various topics, ideas, and experiences that I'd like to share.

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Let's get into it...

To make this first P.S. Diary Entry a little more interesting, I am going to list a few things to get everyone caught up on some of the bits and bobs of my life.

#1. I am leaving the United States on September 16th, which is exactly 44 days from the time that I am posting this blog (oh my gosh!).

I have always known that I wanted to move out of the United States someday (don't we all? this seems to be a universal experience for my generation) and honestly, the United Kingdom and Ireland have just always been the place in my mind for as long as I can remember. Ever since I took my 'grand tour' of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in 2016, I knew that I wanted to experience the adventure of living in another country and essentially relearning all of the average, daily things many people don't think twice about (like getting used to the metric system or driving on the opposite side of the road, for example).

Below I have outlined a few reasons for why I have chosen to embark on this journey.

In Chicago, on my way to my VFS appointment!

• Firstly, one of the main reasons behind my decision to move to another country is the pursuit of a different life. My life has never been bad or anything, not at all, I just want something different—and I think I've always known that I've wanted something more than what the United States can provide for me at this stage in my life. I want newness. I want history and castles. I want Cadbury chocolate buttons (ifykyk).

• Secondly, the chance to move abroad is almost once in a lifetime. It was an opportunity that I knew I needed to do now or else I probably would never find the right time to go for it. Specifically for the UK, the easiest way to move there is to study abroad.

• Lastly, I want to immerse myself in different cultures. I want to learn from diverse perspectives, understand different ways of life, and appreciate the beauty of cultural differences that I will undoubtedly encounter. Moving to England (as well as having much easier access to other European countries) is an incredible opportunity to not only expand my knowledge but also foster a deeper sense of empathy and understanding for others.

Living abroad has been my dream for a long, long time now and I have always had this irresistible pull towards a life filled with endless possibilities. I am just excited that I get to finally experience this opportunity and have the chance to create memories I could never have in America.

#2. I feel confident that I've made the right choice to study at the University of Nottingham.

This might be a crazy statement because I haven't even started my programme yet, but I genuinely feel deep down that I've made the right decision. Anyone who knows me personally knows that choosing between the University of York and the University of Nottingham (and the University of Sussex for that matter) was a very time-consuming and stressful decision. Rightly so, considering it was a huge decision that would've impacted my future dramatically!

It just seems like everything thus far has just fallen into place for me with the University of Nottingham.

• I got into the studio accommodation that I wanted.

• I received the scholarship that I applied for in the full amount.

• My UK visa application and immigration appointment went by so smoothly (and quickly!?).

• Plus—from my experience—everyone that I've been in contact with at UoN have been so timely with their communication and responses!
  

I truly don't think I could ask for anything more and I am truly so thankful for the opportunities that have been presented thus far in my journey.

As a first-time international student, everything is just so new and intimidating, so having people that are present and willing to answer my questions so quickly is truly god sent. This is the first and last time that I will say this—but the 6 hour time difference has been great for receiving quick responses as well.

Oh, I have a question in the evening? I send an email before I go to bed and I wake up to my response. It's perfect—but on the other hand, I know this will not be the case when I am missing my friends and family in America and I'm dealing with the 6 hour time difference on my end!

#3. I am excited to be in the International Media and Communication Studies MA programme.

For those interested, I will explain a bit about my postgraduate programme at the University of Nottingham.

To begin, I know some people will say what they will about a media and communications degree. However, degrees like this are for making them what you want of them! I have distinct and unique long-term goals that I am working towards and I believe that this programme aligns seamlessly with my professional vision and builds on top of my undergraduate foundation in Global Studies and English Professional Writing and Rhetoric.

Graduated Magna Cum Laude from USI '24

This Master of Arts course is international in its scope and outlook, and engages with the globalisation of media and communication and the de-Westernisation of media studies. I am truly so excited to explore and learn more about the rapidly changing world of contemporary communications and examine the problems they raise in terms of economics, politics, society and culture.

Through my studies on this course, I am seeking to understand how digital media and technological advancements can continuously revolutionise the ways we protect and access cultural heritage.  Alongside UoN mentorship, I plan research how to analyse ways to make digital heritage experiences more accessible and inclusive, investigate how digital media can impact cultural traditions, and examine the ethical implications of digitalisation.

While I obviously have no idea what my master's dissertation will delve into at this moment, I can genuinely say that I have never been so academically motivated to start researching... like straight away.

After completing this course—and possibly continuing into a doctoral programme—one of my objectives is to obtain a career in media and cultural heritage preservation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.  I dream of working alongside the UNESCO team to rehabilitate cultural heritage sites and contribute to the organisation’s overall digital presence and communications.

#4. I am moving to England in only 3-4 pieces of luggage.

Street view walking around Nottingham

I've been asked multiple times about how I am moving all of my things overseas. I am not shipping any of my items over. I am simply going to pack my things as tightly as possible into my luggage and hope that the 2 checked bags stay under 50 pounds.

Wish me luck, guys!

As much as I would love to keep all of my things and take them with me, that is just not realistic for my circumstances. For the past few months, I have been organising, sorting, and cleaning out a lot of my things and selling or donating them. It's sad to say goodbye but it is also so refreshing to have less items! I am about to be living that sweet, sweet minimalistic lifestyle.

Moreover, I am moving into a studio apartment so a lot of my personal belongings from America wouldn't fit in there anyways. Although, it is quite exciting to think about all of the cute things that I will be able to decorate my studio with once I get over there! It'll really feel like I am starting with a fresh clean slate with everything once I get settled in England.

#5. I can't fully grasp my emotions about moving abroad yet.

Moving abroad doesn't exactly feel real at the moment and I am not sure when that will finally click in my brain. I simply can't wrap my head around the fact that I only have a month and a half left in America before I officially live in England!

Trust me, I am so excited about everything. I am so grateful to be in this position to chase my long awaited dreams. However, I am also so nervous to feel 'alone' in a new country and intimidated by the feeling of potential failure—academically, professionally, and even personally.

With all big life changes and events, there will always be those overwhelming moments of fear and anxiety. It's just a part of life unfortunately—but if you've cracked the code on how to bypass these negative emotions, let me know please + thank you.

I know that there will be those inevitable days once I move where I will just be completely overwhelmed with unfamiliarity, but I am slowly (and surely) preparing myself for these future emotions.

In all honesty, for a while I have been scared to admit that I am at all nervous about the journey ahead. I've usually just responded with, "of course, I am so excited to leave," to anyone's inquires about moving because that's easier than explaining how incredibly daunting this journey genuinely feels for me.

“Fear doesn't prevent death. It prevents life.” - Naguib Mahfouz

I like this quote because it reminds me that fear is natural. All of us feel it and we will inescapably feel fear throughout our entire lives... unfortunately!

The question is: "what do we decide to make out of it?”

Choosing to avoid feeling scared will only prevent you from stepping outside of your comfort zone and ultimately forces you to remain stagnant in your current position.

If you’re too scared to go for it, no matter what it is, you’re choosing to live a life of what ifs and could’ve beens because you’re scared to fail—or maybe scared to succeed. I fear that I am scared of both failing and succeeding. If I fail, I lose something that I've worked so hard for; but if I succeed, I have to maintain my success and keep building and getting better.

As I said, fear is natural—but it's my decision to use this daunting phase of my life to move forward and create what I really want for myself and for my future.

To conclude, I think that it's important to fully acknowledge every emotion—happiness, sadness, excitement, anxiety, etc.

Fear is a manageable emotion that can be processed and ultimately released, so it truly only has power over us if we allow it. I am currently submerged with varying emotions about moving to England, beginning my postgraduate journey, and starting my life alone there—but I am choosing to use those little fears and anxieties as a reminder to embrace life and its challenges head-on rather than allowing them to engulf me.

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Hopefully this wasn't too much of a life update word dump, but I do feel much better after typing a lot of this out and diving a bit deeper into my thoughts. Thank you so much for reading to the very end, I genuinely appreciate it.

Stay tuned for more blogs soon + leave a comment below if you'd like! :')

Enjoy this drone shot of the Trent Building on UoN's University Park Campus!

See you in the next blog! x