As a junior at USC, I feel like I’ve had my fair share of memorable experiences. I made it through freshman year, half in-person and half online, and endured the terrifying USC vs. UCLA game at the Rose Bowl last year. I’ve braved 28th Street on many questionable nights and survived trying to find a table at Leavey Library during finals season. Yet, nothing in my life has ever quite scared me like going abroad has.

I haven’t even left yet, and I’m scared out of my wits. My departure date for Edinburgh, Scotland is Sept. 10, and as it creeps closer, my excitement and nerves go up in equal measure. I’m absolutely overjoyed to finally achieve a dream that I’ve had since I was a little girl, imagining myself living in Britain and married to Harry Styles (I was eight). Yet, moving abroad — especially for an entire year — is not as easy as it looks when you’re ten “Study Abroad Tips” videos deep on YouTube at 1 a.m.

My therapist recently showed me a video from Steve Harvey, and while his name usually only brings to mind the many “Family Feud” clips I’ve seen over the years where his mustache plays a starring role, it really hit home. Harvey says, “If you want to be successful, here’s the thing you have to do: You have to jump. You have to jump. There is no way around it.”

So, this is me — about to jump headfirst into an entirely new country. As someone who wants to live and work abroad after graduation, I know this is an important step in making my way there. Luckily, there’s so much waiting there to catch me. Edinburgh is full of history, beauty and so much culture. In just my first week, I have a plan of sights to see and things to do.

Among the many societies — or clubs, as we call them here — available at the University of Edinburgh, there are a couple that have caught my eye, including the Classics Society, the History of Art Society and the Literature Society. I’ve got a visit to the National Gallery of Scotland queued up with the History of Art Society in my first couple of days.

The National Gallery has free admission, which is awesome for someone like me who loves to visit as many museums as possible, but hates paying high admission fees. I’m excited about the Italian Renaissance section of the National Gallery that houses works from artists like Titian and Tintoretto, but I’m even more excited to learn more about my new home in the 10 new Scottish galleries that celebrate Scottish art of all kinds, from wood carvings to landscape paintings (a personal favorite!). It’s going to be great exploring such a varied collection with my new friends and checking off another museum from my ever-growing list.

The Literature Society is hosting a bookshop crawl, and I’m eager to see which bookshops we will hit across Edinburgh. Will it be the Lighthouse, Edinburgh’s radical bookshop that is queer-owned and women-led, focusing on left-wing politics, environmentalism and revolutionary history? Or will it be Golden Hare Books, the blue-and-gold painted indie bookshop that has over 2000 titles and hosts author talks and reading groups? Maybe it’ll be the quirky second-hand Armchair Books with its dragon mascot and creaking shelves. Whatever stores I end up visiting, I’m sure I’ll leave with some new books and a little less money in my bank account.

One last thing I want to do during Welcome Week is head to Edinburgh Castle. I can’t believe I’m going to live in a place with an actual castle! Edinburgh Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe, and part of it still has a military function. The upper ward of the castle is home to the royal apartments, while the lower ward has the famous Great Hall. The architecture is a mix of styles, including Norman, Gothic and Renaissance. Tickets are not free, but I think experiencing a real-life castle filled with so much history will more than make up for the price.

On the days that I can’t make it up to the castle itself, the local Waterstones Cafe has a stunning view of it. Study days in Edinburgh will be a lot different than my days in the Doheny bookstacks.

Although I’m still nervous to ship myself off halfway across the world, I think the experiences I will have in Edinburgh will more than make up for my present-day anxiety. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and I’m going to take advantage of everything offered to me. But, if you catch me shedding a couple of tears because I’m missing home in one of the Scottish galleries — no, you didn’t!

Hannah Contreras is a junior writing about her experiences abroad in Europe. Her column, “Notes from Abroad,” runs every other Friday.