The day that I had been waiting for had arrived. After a long sleep in ‘til midday, I said my goodbyes to my bed…and my loved ones too, of course… However, I did not allow myself to feel excited just yet as I had an essay to submit by 4:00pm and my clothes were still sprawled across my bedroom floor. After having checked the weather forecast for Sheffield last night and receiving my first culture shock, I unpacked my suitcase and replaced my shorts with jeans. I thought I had packed too much because I could barely lift my suitcase but it was to my delight that I discovered my luggage was 12kg under the limit and I am just merely a weakling. It was at this stage the excitement began to set in. However, by 8:30pm my mood had changed to one of extreme anxiety and I was plagued by irrational fears such as my luggage being infiltrated by luggage handlers and filled with drugs resulting in my arrest and imprisonment, or worse, featured on the television program Border Security. This anxiety lasted until the airport where it subsided. I am now feeling keen to board the plane and take advantage of the free wine on offer. 
- Angela Plazzer (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)