One Bag, One Castle, and Lots of Clothes

     This is not my first time abroad; I was in Greece and Rome for two weeks, I went to Russia, Switzerland, and Romania for two weeks also, not to mention our two week cruise in the Mediterranean. Packing for three and a half months though is a huge feat. Packing for college was hard enough, at least then I could bring as much as I wanted as long as it could all fit in the car. For London I will only have one suitcase. One. That is not a lot. Last night I picked out all the clothes that I wanted to take, so today I, well, my father actually, put it all in our biggest suitcase and I just prayed that it would be under fifty pounds. Shockingly, it was. I might not be taking everything that I could be; all my beautiful shoes will not be joining me in jolly old London Town. But...what can I do? My mother lost the fight with my father and I on bringing a heavy winter coat and my rain boats. They would only take up space, and space is limited. Despite all this I have no doubt that London will be amazing. It is a civilized city where I will be able to buy things I have forgotten or need and I am sure that I will be able to live without my precious shoe collection among other things. I am trading those things for a semester Europe. An easy trade off in my mind. 
     Every time I look at the clock I cannot help but think how soon I will be in London. Thirteen years; that is how long I have wanted to go to the United Kingdom, ever since I listened to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on cassette while we were living in China. To be honest I do not remember really even paying attention to them. I must have grasped something though because I remember thinking of Hermione Granger as a mountain ranger on top of a rock, with a walking stick, bossing everyone around with a castle behind her. Now all the books are written and the movies done, and I am no longer six. I find it funny, though you may not, that I started dreaming of England when I first started elementary school, and I am actually going there as I begin college. I spent a semester living in a castle that I love dearly, and soon I will be in a country that has many castles that are all much older than Grey Towers. I need to stop dreaming of the future for now and concentrate on the present, and how I am going to fight all my makeup and toiletries in my suitcase.