Send Morgan to Study Abroad in Italy

Morgan Borck Start Date: Oct 4, 2015 - End Date: Jan 11, 2016
  • Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Università, 4, 41121 Modena MO, Italy

My Travel Story

by: Morgan Borck Start Date: Oct 4, 2015 - End Date: Jan 11, 2016
Anything and everything is appreciated (even happy thoughts)! Keep reading for a silly, little blurb about my life! 

There is not enough “I don’t know” in my life. Sure, I don’t know the circumference of the sun, or what a 401k plan is, or even how to  make a decent cup of coffee; but my life is still missing the kind of “I don’t know” that leads to heart-thumping, palm-sweating, clumsy, excitement.

When I was a young girl, I was teased by my three brothers for organizing my closet by color, alphabetizing my movie collection, and always making sure to write in my daily planner. Even as a child, I was obsessed with knowing, planning, expecting. I feel secure with static. I found the most laughter and anticipation, though, in the moments I had not foreseen in my life. For example, I will never forget the day that my parents checked me out of class in the second grade to take me to Disneyland or the time that I moved to a new school and had to make new friends. I found that the events that had not been expected or studied from every angle were the ones that gave me lasting memories and taught me new life lessons.

As I have grown older, I have grown to look for more moments in my life where “I don’t know” and I am able to let go of my fixed, planned-out days. I found “I don’t know” in high school the first time a boy kissed me, the first time that I got a disappointing grade on a test, and the first time I stayed out past curfew. While I was worried about preparing my daily routine and expecting the expected, these “I don’t know” situations still snuck their way into my life and  taught me lessons, made me feel unnerved, and made me want more.

I started to find myself jumping at the opportunities of “I don’t know”. When I was fortunate enough to be chosen to attend the California 2013 session of Girls State, I accepted and was secretly pleased to find out that I had no idea what to expect when I arrived. When I applied to various colleges across the nation and put my best-foot-forward, I still didn’t know if I was competitive enough to be accepted and I was filled with anticipation. When I chose the courses for my first semester of college at Butte Community College, I didn’t know whom I would meet, if I would succeed, or what opportunities would arise and butterflies flew around my belly in eagerness. I still relied on my color-coded closet and my daily planner, but these “I don’t know” moments were entering my life more frequently and I found that they were not as scary as they once seemed.

Now that I am a part-time employee, full-time student I have finally learned to drive for at least one “I don’t know” a day. I start conversations with strangers; I take random short road trips; I jump at occupational or school-related opportunities. I am striving to study abroad in the spring of 2016 in Reggio Emilia, Italy to face an ultimate, five-month-long “I don’t know” trip to learn, experience, and grow. While in Italy, I plan on finding "I don't know" in courses for my major (Economics), in entering an internship for my major, and in meeting new people. The little girl that made sure her rock collection was organized smallest to largest and that her food on her dinner plate didn’t touch is certainly still inside of me, but she has learned that the moments in her life that bring the most opportunities, excitement, and memories are the ones that involve the “I don’t know”.
  • Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Università, 4, 41121 Modena MO, Italy

More Travel Information