My name is Megayn (said like "Megan") Ray, but mostly everyone calls me "Meg". I am a Sophomore at Ripon College in northern Wisconsin and in 61 days I will be starting a study abroad program through ACM (Associated Colleges of the Midwest). Wow, only 61 days! I am actually leaving the good ol' "Cheese State" on Jan. 20th to travel to Paris with my Mom and older brother, Mason (22), before they help me get settled in Earls Court. I am really excited, and a bit relieved, to be traveling to Europe with them. It has been too long since we've had a family vacation together and I will be excited to explore Paris with them.
As a kid my parents made sure that I had the opportunities to be well traveled. I've defiantly had the opportunity to explore some major cities like New York, Boston and San Francisco and I've even had a taste of some European life when I visited the Baltic Sea six years ago stopping in Russia, Sweden, Poland, Finland, Norway and Estonia. I think that there is a huge difference between visiting a foreign country and actually living there which is something I can't wait to experience!
On this blog I will be posting pictures and hopefully daily posts about my adventures in Europe, along with links to any videos I might snap while I am out and about!
A little bit about me, incase we've never met just so you can get a feel for things:
Name: Meg Ray
Age: 19
Sign: Aries
Major/Minor: Undeclared, leaning toward Art / History / English
Activities: In high school I was very involved in Drama Club, Choir, and Art- I'm taking a break from those activities but intending to be apart of Student Activities, Admissions and other on campus organizations Fall 2013.
Hobbies: Reading, singing made up songs for daily activities, playing video games, playing board games, dancing crazy like no one is watching, cleaning my room (that can be a hobby right?), taking walks, hanging out with my friends, sketching/doodling.
Favorite TV Shows: Any show on the Food Network, Lost, Mad Men, Gossip Girl The Newsroom, Being Human (UK), Sherlock (BBC),Doctor Who, Community, Arrested Development, Avatar Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, Sopranos, West Wing, Firefly
Favorite Books: Anything by John Green, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, Inheritance Cycle, anything written by David Sedaris.
Favorite Movies: Star Wars, LotR, Singin' in the Rain, When Harry met Sally, Forget Paris, The Parent Trap, Star Trek (2009), Super 8, Catch me if you can, Disney&Pixar Movies
Favorite Music: Coldplay, The Fray, Ed Sheeran, Hans Zimmer, Eric Whiticare, John Williams- I will listen to anything, I'm not picky as to what music other people play.
Family: I have one brother, Mason, and two adorable Golden Retrievers named AJ and Callie.
What am I most excited for: Honestly? EVERYTHING! I can't wait to go to the museums and see some of the pieces I have been studying in Art History this semester, try different food, learn how to say the British word for Eggplant (Obergine? Aubergene?), see fantastic shows, explore the melting pot of architecture, watch the sunset over the Piazza, learn how to speak Italian and possibly meet some Italian boys (wink! Haha, only kidding..) and most of all gain the confidence and independence that goes along with living on your own far from home.
What am I most nervous about: I am nervous but I can't really pinpoint why. I mean, I know that I will have a great, once-in-a-lifetime experience but there is a certain type of fear that come with that independence, and being 3900.347 miles away from everything that I know. I think that my nerves will calm down as soon as I get there!
Stay tuned for more updates!
You can follow me on twitter @walesnotwelsh (although I suggest you wait until January unless you want weird non-trip related tweets from me. I also will be creating a Youtube channel for my trip which I will link in the near future. For now if you have any questions about me, the London/ Florence trip specifically or ACM in general please leave a comment, email me at walesnotwelsh@gmail.com or check out their website at www.acm.edu. They are such a nice organization and would love to help you with any questions you might have!
Until next time, Ciao!
Meg
