Oh Paris

So after a week of a few troubles, no cell phone, no ac adapter which meant no laptop, among other things, I have managed to make it through alive. Even with my lack of human connection, I went to class, finished up my intensive french course, went to the market, and have settled into life here for the most part. My next step will be to pick at courses at my university, start teaching english classes (this friday), find a babysitting a tutoring position, finish opening my bank account, and ofcourse, going out in Paris.

I've even gotten used to the sounds here. I can admit, I was almost homesick there for a bit (with everything going crazy), but I love it here. Each morning, I wake up to the sound of roaring traffic, ambulances, the kids next door who love irish rock, the music conservatory student who lives somewhere in this building who practices flute 24/7, and the sounds of our hot water heater ready for lift off. Haha, all in all, I love it. I get a free concert each day, as well as some fun neighbors, not bad.

Last night, my program hosted a dinner to celebrate the finish of our french intensive class. It was a really great, light meal, composed of tons of cheese, salads, sandwich slices, and ofcourse, wine. After, a group of us hit up one of our favorite bars in Paris (The Student Bar-so original), where it's happy hour until 11 and every drink you can think of is 4.50 euro. So, in our dinner attire and with good friends, we stumbled across a club for international students, Le Mix. They have ERASMUS (exchange program for students in Europe) parties every Thursday night, and there is no cover. So we thought, hey, let's go in and try it. Haha, good choice! Crazy fun, and met a lot of students from all around Europe. It was better than any club I've been to in Albany or New York, and we didn't even stay the whole night! Next week, we hope to live up to the french student standards, and pull an all nighter dancing until the metro starts again.

In other news, work starts on Friday, and I'm pretty nervous. Each week, 8 days in advance, I'm supposed to schedule 3 courses. One in reading, one in culture, and one in fun. So, I've been brainstorming, and trying to come up with some ideas. Unfortuantly, by the time I made my classes I had to schedule them all for Friday, not exactly against the rules, but not something I should have done my first week. So Friday will be an exhausting day, but I'll hopefully get the feel for teaching. I'm also looking for a babysitting position, seeing as Emily, I, and a few other friends are planning trips to Spain, Ireland, Scottland, England, and visiting the rest of France. Then in June, I hope to go backpacking the rest of Europe with some friends. So money would be a good idea, and hopefully I can develop some connection for when I return for grad school. Yep, I'm definetly coming back. Maybe for a year, or perhaps I'll do my entire grad program here? We'll see, but I know it's a great place to be, and I will get more international experience here.

So, I apologize for the slacking of updates, but I will have use of the computer all weekend, so I will try to be more thorough!

Later, bisou bisou!

Walk of shame

The most epic night of my life occurred last night. Basically it was just a fantastic good time with some french friends as well as some American friends. One of the things I love the most about Paris is the Bisou bisou, which replaces the traditional hand shake. Even when you first meet someone, a kiss on each cheek follows. Interestingly enough, the number of bisous varies by region in France, sometimes its 2, sometimes 4.

So, with a ton of wine and a bit of cheese, we all partied until morning. One things I've quickly figured out is that friendship here is even a bit different. These new friends that I have made will always be my friends. French friends will be there, whether you are rolling around in dirt or just need a place to stay, definetly a great concept. So, we had a dance party, and I met a couple different people. Needless to say I had enough wine to last me for the week. Haha We had lebanese for dinner, it was a fantastic place right next to our apartment, very homey and cheap. Unfortuantly that is all I accomplished today, but tomorrow I plan on going to Place Monge for a market and then Sacre Coeur:) I'll update soon!

It's bedtime

Even as I stood in line yesterday at the Carrefour grocery mart staring at the umbrellas, I still did not proceed to buy one. Very bad decision on my part, considering I woke up to the serenading sound of rain. On the plus side however, after sliding Emily's extra mattress on the floor next to her bed, so that we could share the little heater that had been offered, and I could try to stay clear of hypothermia, I woke up warm. A very thrilling moment in my existence. The day proceeded something like this:

It rained. I was cold. I went to class. I froze. I walked outside, wanted to die. Froze. Went back to the apt., set up heater next to my as I slept, and guess what. The landlord came in while I slept, and took it. And now, I'm cold.

So now as I deal with the lovely hassles of not having heat, a working AC adaptor for my computer, and looking for a job, I still can say I'm enjoying myself. Today we had a huge debate in class, and I'm pretty sure that may be one of the reasons I love living here so much. I love to discuss and debate, and that may be the French's favorite pasttime as well. Good stuff. That's all for now!

Shit continues to hit the fan

So, I'll start with the good news. I got the job teaching for 300 euro a month, so good stuff right? Wrong. I arrived back home to my apartment to not only find that the heat was still not working for the 2nd day in a row, but that it would be broken until Friday when the plumber came. Fantatic, but it gets much worse. So as if I don't feel like we're living under a bridge already, but the oven is also broken as well. So much for "La pomme de terre au gratin" tonight! (potato casserole). We continued to learn that the wifi was still not working as well.

So holy crap, we definitely were living under a bride, paying a about 460 euro a month (x 1.5=american dollar). Donq, il est une probleme. However, things fix themselves rather quickly. Our landlord showed up at our door with a small heater (better than no heat at all), our oven suddenly lit, and our neighbor has given us his passcode for wifi in exchange for enlgish lessons for his son. Good shit, I am sooo much more at ease. I was just simply worried about the whole heat situation quite honestly, but things seemed to work themselves out. Emily and I devoured our Potatoes au Gratin with a bit of baguette and cheese. I'm happy. I have also almost officially been enrolled at Paris 3 (Sorbonne Novelle), almost officially decided to do a year of grad school here (as well as a month backpacking in June). I don't know, it's all very up in the air right now, but I'm so game for such things. I'm ready to explore, learn, and live the way I've always loved, simply, independantly, and crazy all at once.

So for now, I'm going to leave things at that. While hot water heaters and heaters are exploding, life is crashing, and shit is hitting the fan, I am still immensley enjoying myself. I love it here, and hope to one day (after retirement from the FBI of course), have the tea shop/bakery/book store of my dreams. Haha I'm a nut.

Shit's hitting the fan

So, no internet at the apt. still, which is a bit of a drag, and denies me the freedom to update my blog on all the interesting things happening. So I'll try to work backwards a bit. The night before yesterday, (Sunday), Emily and I did our homework together, trying to benefit from the extra practice. It turned into a session of breaking open a bottle of wine with a spoon (due to a misguided cork incident), and a few drops of wine landing on the homework. What can we say, i was hilarious, and our homework still was handed in on time the next morning. Yesterday morning, I woke up and just knew it was going to be one of those days. I couldn't sleep due to rush hour heading into the city, and a conversation that I heard clear as day from the street (mind you we are on the 3rd floor, windows closed). It was freezinggg in our apt., and the hot water tended to drift in and out as I showered. As I proceeded to do the dishes in my towel, I broke a glass on the floor, and swept it up using my hands (due to lack of a broom). All of a sudden, water shot out from the heater/hot water heater, which couldn't have been a good sign. So, Emily and I settled into our morning routine of drinking a few cups of tea, and before we knew it we were 20 minutes late to class. Grand. We ran around most of the day, and lucky class went by quickly. We did our first grocery shopping trip together, stocking our apartment full of great food that will save us money on eating at a cafe everyday. We shared a baguette for lunch, and I then proceded to my program's office for my academic advisement appointment. Basically, it consisted of me telling them what's what, and them asking for a signature. So much for advisement, haha. When we returned to the apartment, we found out our heat is actually just not working, perhaps the reason I've been so cold. But, I cannot complain, because our landlords are truly the sweetest people. They promised to send a plumber over today, and to solve the internet problem themselves. So we shall see what will occur once I return from this internet cafe. So, last night emily and I shared a delicious veggie, ham, and assortment of french cheeses omelet. It was sooo good. The day all in all turned out well, and by the time we both got homework out of the way, we were in bed by 11. Not bad. Today went a little more timely, and now I write sitting in a cafe drinking my petit cup of coffee, stealing their internet. I have an interview at 3 for a job teaching student english, so wish me luck!

Au revoir et bientot!

Pizza Time

So, I currently have no internet at my apartment, but hope to change that in the coming days. I simply have to retrieve the code from my cute little chinese landlord, but have yet to do so. So, Emily and I explored the area outside our apartment, and found a very cute pizzeria with wifi. There was also two movie theatres, a million bars and cafes, a butcher, and some great places less than a block away. Perfect. We unfortunately look like typical Americans on our laptops at dinner, but oh well. Tonight we're going to stay in, then tomorrow visit the local markets, and perhaps even do some sightseeing.

Last night we went out with our new french friends again and it was fantastic. They are all so much fun, and so interesting to talk to. We tend to speak franglais when together, but it's working out. We all plan on going dancing next weekend, for today it's raining and both Emily and I have woken up with colds. But otherwise, things are great!:).


I will update furthur once I have better internet, but until then Bon soir!

Move-in day

Alas, I've moved half of my things into my apartment, and the rest will follow today. It's extremely homey, and Emily and I are so happy that we decided on this place. Last night, as we sat in a cafe drinking cafe au lait and eating crepes, we discussed our apartment. We're both no-bullshit kind of girls, so we basically ruled, "If you have a problem, say so bitch". Haha, we both have a similar sarcastic sense of humor, as well as a thrill for traveling, arabic language, among other things. So this stay should work out nicely. We plan on having a big new apartment dinner tonight with pasta and vegtables, while Alex and Dylan plan on bringing over some wine and baguette. The best part will be grocery shopping, and stocking our kitchen so we can stop spending so much money going out. Tonight the plan is to eat, go to the theatre with our group, and then disperse to various bars. Having tomorrow off, I hope to write up a CV (french resume), and start looking for a tutoring position within a family. They pay about 13 to 20 euro an hour for english tutoring, so I plan on making bank, lemme tell ya.

Yesterday night, I had my teacher orientation. A job interview is scheduled for next week as far as I know, so I am hoping to have this job, as well as another tutoring position. It will make me feel very comfortable spending my life savings knowing I have some extra money coming in.

So, that's pretty much all for now. On Monday I have my academic interview, where I plan on enrolling into the Arabic Studies department at Sorbonne Nouvelle. For now I simply have my intensive studies program, and I'll be sure to comment on anything interesting that occurs tonight!

Au revoir et a demain

House warming parties avec le vin et le fromage!

Donc, most of my friends have also now found apartments. It's really nice to know no one is actually going to end up living under a bridge. It was kind of a nice rush though, trying to find a place to live in a limited amount of time. So now, we move forward. House warming parties commence this evening with a cheap night of wine less than 5 euro, and of course some baguette and cheese!

So, within the last few days ( I will have been here a week tomorrow), we've all developed a theory. Why is it, that after such a short period of time, we have all managed to click so well? Is it because we've been put in a place together, where we are outside of our normal comfort zone, so we cling to anything that can give us a sense of comfort (other people similar to us)? Or is it that by the process of elimination, this group was formed. After months of paperwork, a common interest to study abroad, an interest in French culture, and the need for a highly independant program; were we basically designing this group of people just like us unknowingly? And then finally, is it just how it is. We were we meant to all meet eachother and become good friends? Was it just in the cards?

It's very interesting how we can go from exploring the areas various sex shops to discussing highly philosophical topics, but I think it's the way we mesh.

So, in the next couple days, many things will again be changing, and uprooting us all once again from whatever semblence of a schedule we had made. This morning the group met and watched a movie "L'aurberge espagne", which was a movie about a french student studying abroad in Spain. However, what I saw was exactly what I had been going through. From crying at the airport, to getting lost, to making a million good friends. And, it was hilarious, always a good additive.

Tomorrow we start our intensive french courses, which will basically make sure we can survive taking legitimate french classes without failing out. We've all been seperated into different sections based on our strengths and weaknesses. It's good, especially because class is not until 12:30, which means I may actually get some sleep in the next few weeks. Soon, we will pick out courses for February, and plan our semester. All in all, I feel as if there will be something new going on each day, and that's good. I've come to figure out quickly that when you are thrown outside your comfort zone, it only makes you more aware of who you are. I've figured out rather quickly that although this program may give me a heart attack every once in a while, this is what I do. I'm insane, I'm always moving fast, and trying to new things. My friends can attest to the fact that I am an absolute headcase, but it's definetly who I am. The fact that I decided to leave the states for 6 months most likely did not surprise anyone, and it would not surprise anyone most likely to know that I hope to return for at least a year. We'll see.

The best thing I can say about my first week in France is that I remembered that I am 19, and although I graduate next year, I have plenty of time to live and do the things I want to do.

That's all for now, cheers to an absolutely fantastic and hilarious first week of craziness.

Triumphant!

So, I found an apartment yesterday. Not any of the choices in fact that I listed last time, but the two bedroom place I looked at yesterday morning. Emily (my friend in the program) and I ended up signing for the apartment together. It wasn't what either of us planned on doing, but we are completely thrilled. It includes everything, washing machine (huge huge deal in Paris), security code entrance, internet, full kitchen (another big deal), and a room that is bigger than my pinky toe. It's a great part of town, part residential, part old school, part new. In fact, there's a KFC near by (who would have thought) as well as multiple cafes and patisseries. So it's perfect, and I'll post some pictures at the bottom.

As for another big deal, our good friend Alex also found his place. He's got his own floor in a house, and for 600 euro a month, he'll be cooked and fed by the mother (owner of the house). The best part though is that she is a major fashion designer in Paris, and plans on designing clothes for him. Do not think that I will not be mooching off that, I would definitely offer to pay for clothes that are designed for me! So basically things are fantastic. This morning I had my french oral exam which was simply an interview. It was simple conversation, and hopefully tomorrow I will know what school I'm going to. But for now, it's time to go to Notre Dame for celebritory drinks with my friends!

Au revoir et a demain

Housing Interviews

So, I'm not sure if I mentioned this subject before, as it is 7:30am on the morning I have the first half of my test. But just in case I hadn't, the invention that I have finally figured to be a towel warmer in my bathroom may just be the best invention ever. What may look like a heater is actually designed to keep you toasty at all time, not only by heating the bathroom ever so slightly, but giving you soft warm towels after your shower. Fantastic.

So moving on. I was up late last night once again unfortunately. After a beer and some small talk with friends, then a quick run to the metro station, the night ended up going to about 2 am again. So now I'm up, ready to down a croissant and cafe au lait, perhaps even some of the delicious peach tea leaves I stumbled on in a shop by accident.

As for housing, I have an interview at 10:30 this morning before my exam. I'm not so worried about the exam, for it's similar to the SAT, what exactly can I study at this point? So, as for housing, this morning Emily (my new good friend) and I will be looking at a 2 bedroom apartment together. I'm very excited, but I also have 3 other housing options hanging over my head.

The first would entail living with an Irish student, sharing a loft. Including everything from tv, to wifi, to an actual kitchen (which is sooo rare in France considering my small budget), it's going to be about 450 euro a month. Not to bad, as long as I don't think about the conversion rate:P.

The second choice consists of my own chambre de bonne (a 12m2 maid chamber) for about 460 euro. However, this particular apt. is located in my most favorite part of town, Montmatre and Sacre Coeur. It has the best view of the entire city of Paris, with everything included (yes even a non-turkish toilet!).

The last choice though is rather tempting. A tutoring position staying with a family where I would simply become a part of the family, and speak english with everyone from time to time. The mother and two daughters seemed absolutely wonderful, and here's the best part. It's free. The only few downsides I could see to this would be the fact that it's 20 minutes outside the city of Paris, so while I would have to spend an extra 20 or 30 euro for the extended zone pass, I really believe it would be a fantastic oppurtunity. I'm so excited. However, I must ask, will it be a problem for me to arrive back later in the night, or bring my boyfriend to stay when he visits for a week? We shall see.

I've also applied to a job with a tutoring agency, teaching 3 classes a week, 6 hours total. I'm very excited, and I hope the interview process begins school. So in lieu of this conundrum, I'm going to visit every single place, and simply decide which one feels right.

If anyone has any opinions, let me know!!

I'm going to be living under a bridge in Paris

So, I'm quite busy at the moment. I have about 6 more days to find an apartment in Paris, along with take a placement test, start classes, make an academic profile, and go on house visits. It's insane, but I'm loving every minute of it. Last night I bar hopping by Notre Dame with other students, it was a blast. 20 shots, 4 beers, 4 people. SO much fun, and that was just the pregame. The apartments I have visited so far are interesting to say the least, I will certainly be living a simple life, but it's exactly what I've been waiting for. The chambre de bonnes (old maid chambers) are where most of the "studettes" are located. The views are amazing however, but usually you have to climb about 7 or 8 flights of stairs, for there is no elevator. I just hope to find something with a kitchenette, bathroom non communal, and a small space for about 400 euro. But we will see! I have pictures posted on facebook, and let's hope that by the end of this ordeal I will have found an apartment, and not be living under a bridge in this crazy freezing weather!

Brrr Paris!

Where to start? The first day felt like 12 days. As you all know, sleep did not come, but that kicked me in ass later in the day. I had breakfast with my family and friends at a local diner, my final banana pancakes. Ahh, but man, the food here knocks the socks of those final banana pancakes, lemme tell you. Boarding the plane was absolutely the most horrible thing. Everyone was crying, me, my mom, Bobby, my dad was a wreck (as predicted), even the customs guy was tearing up. It was rough. In a heartbeat I realized I was not ready to go, that mentally I had not prepared for this moment. I must have hugged Bobby 30 times, before I could finally pull myself toward the metal detector. The last thing I saw was everyone waving goodbye. It was absolutely horrible.

After about an hour of waiting, I finally boarded the plane (still whining like a big baby). Then, I saw something that took my mind off the fact I was leaving home. That's right, I was flying for 45 minutes inside a tin can. This thing was as small as my pinky finger. Talk about turbulance, I was about to scream out "we're going down!" about 40 times. I think the woman next to me realized my train wreck status, so she began talking to me. As it turns out, she went to St. Rose College, a school very close to mine. What a coincedence! She had also gone to school for speech pathology, which is exactly what my roomate is going for (callout to Rachel)!! It was freaky, but very interesting. Her husband, seated across the aisle with her daughter, was the only natural born deaf professor in the country at Syracuse University. It was extremely fascinating, and the plane ride from hell went by rather quickly.

We finally landed in Washington Dulles, and I went to meet the two other girls that had reached me via email that were in the same program. It was so nice meeting up with them, not only to cure a bit of our anxiousness, but to also make the 7-8 hour layover go a bit faster. Nothing to exciting during that time, and finally we boarded the plane. Luckily, this plane was a lot bigger, big enough to have 10 rows across with 2 aisles, not 4.

This was when I was ready to get some sleep and relax. We, that didn't happen. I ended up sitting to a kid who was 23, and going to Spain to study abroad. This kid and I must have talked for 6 hours straight, about everything from religion, philosophy, traveling, jobs, colleges, Canada (his original home), and more. It was a very cool talk, and by the time I closed my eyes for a quick snooze, we had made plans to get in touch if we ever visited eachother's destined country. Plane rides are most definetly the best place for meeting interesting people.

The two other girls and I met at the end of the terminal, and went nuts. We were finally in Paris. It was about an hour and a half later than our planned arrival, so we were mega jetlegged, considering it was about 7:30am parisian time. We caught a cab into paris after having a very difficult time with the moving floor (that is supposed to accelerate your walking time). The cab ended up costing 60 euro, which we split between the 3 of us, not bad. We had a bit of a time finding our housing, until some very nice french people helped out. The language felt a bit awkard on my tongue, but communicating was easy.

Ah, then finally our rooms! Well, first off, my door would open. Fantastic. So the main dude came, and helped me. There's quite the little dance in opening the door, along with some codes, and two weird objects that are laser censored to open the 97 thousand doors the just get into this building. Finally however, I entered my room. Yes! Opposed to what I was thinking though, the attendants suggested we immediatly start looking for housing. So on very very little sleep, we made our way across Paris with a few more students, and a map. Once we made it to the main office of our group, we had a quick lesson on where to buy a cell phone, and then started looking at ads. I'll keep you up to date as to what housing I find, for I have some interviews tomorrow. Is all I know is if you don't look at an apt. before you buy, you may end up with a turkish toilet (a hole in the ground for a toilet). This 21st century features is common among most studettes (or the cheapest housing you can find in Paris, smaller than the tin can housing.

After that quick session, we grabbed a "jambon bebe", or a ham sandwich. I bought myself an absolutely revolutionary Nokia pay as you go phone, sleekest thing around. (Just kidding) I then hit up a boulangerie for a baguette, and headed back to the room. I finally showered, which felt amazing except for the fact that it was made for a 7 year old child, and that I kept hip checking the tempature control, therefore causing myself to have 3rd degree burns by the end. Haha. I finally crawled into my twin bed after some apartment searches, and passed out (even though my room was 0 degrees due to Paris' fluke cold spell that only happened once we arrived!)

I slept extremely well, and this morning went to the petit introduction at the college I would like to attend, Paris 3- Sorbonne Nouvelle. Basically they informed us that housing and the fact that we may become extremely depressed due to culture shock was the main priority. We don't have to start worrying about academics for a while, which is a damn good thing. I need a major mental preparation for that, let me tell you.

So now I must go, I have to do some apartment searching with a friend, and there are many interviews tomorrow. Bonsoir!

Waterworks

As I originally predicted, little to no sleep last night. You know that feeling when you wake up, and you fear that you have overslept your alarm? Yeah, had that feeling about 15 times before my alarm rang. Fantastic. So it is 4 am, and I'm checking into my airline with my electronic as well as paying my $45 baggage fee. Last minute I decided two suitcases was the way to go considering I will most likely return with more crap than I left with, not to mention the overweight baggage fee for international is $300. Pfft, no thank you. So, I just wanted to quickly write off my nerves, and say au revoir. I will be departing for my 14 hour travel session at 10:15 am, hoping that my flights are not delayed due to mass snow storms. We shall see, but for now I'm going to cuddle with the boy, and hope the next few hours go by quite slow:(. Overwhelmed with excitement and nerves, but ready to go as well:).

It's the Final Countdown

At 7 am this morning, I woke up to the sight of my 500 lbs. of luggage. That's when it hit me like a brick wall. I am leaving tomorrow morning, and not coming back for at the very least 6 months. I have a bad habit of planning far too much in advance, and I'm hoping my escape to the laid back french lifestyle will cure this issue. As most people know, when you plan, it never tends to go the way you wanted. Multiply this by about a million, and you have the situations I often land myself in. Not that I can complain however, I believe a life that is nothing as you planned is a better life all in all.

Another theory that struck me this morning. I was wondering exactly what was nerve wracking about this specific situation. I'm not so afraid of finding an apartment in Paris in under 10 days, or grocery shopping in a completely foreign country, or even testing my language skills to the max. I think the scariest part is what I'm going to miss out on here in the United States. My beloved roommates are going to continue to have movie/sushi nights, stumble around our crazy city, visit Yoni's Lounge, and make grilled cheese on the foreman. My boyfriend Bobby is staying behind, starting to make plans for a possible move to Baltimore this summer. How many movie nights, near decapitations by a frisbee, and dates at the gym am I going to miss? And then finally my family, most certainly my baby.

Yep, that's her. She's the hardest to leave, because she has no idea what the hell is going on. However, even my parents notice how close she stays to my feet, and how often she jumps into my arms when she sees those suitcases roll out. Once I return from my trip, I finally be able to settle into my apartment with her. But for now, I just have to finish what needs to be done. She'll be in the care of Grandma and Grandpa until then. Haha.

My parents are an entirely different story. My dad has asked me probably 14 times a day if I'm ready to go. "Yep Dad," I respond each time. And each time, a lecture ensues of what safety precautions I should take, etc. I know for a fact Dad will be on that airport floor crying in the fetal position, but don't worry; I'll include photos. Haha, he's funny, and very worried about me. Opposite of my Dad, my mom just pretends I'm not going, and doesn't even mention my trip much. They both worry about the news stories they see, whether it concerns airplanes or metros getting stuck in the English Channel.

My Mom's reaction was relatively similar to my boyfriend's. He refused to talk about it, I guess assuming it wouldn't come as fast if we didn't discuss what was going on. Well, I'm a talker, so that shit doesn't fly. So, once I beat it out of him (just kidding:P), we talked about the future, what we're going to do. He gave me a Kay Jeweler's box 2 weeks ago, and I about shit my pants. Don't worry, just a promise ring. I'm less than ready for any engagement, and we talked about exactly what it meant to us. We don't know what's going to happen in the future, I have a lot of goals and things I need to do. I want to get an apartment with my girlfriends, obtain a stable career in law enforcement, go skydiving, travel, and get a few more years of experience under my belt before any decisions are made. And that's exactly what is so great about him, he understands that. He tells me he's more than willing to wait and see what happens. So that's what were doing, and it's comforting to know he's supportive of my crazy ass goals.

So, tomorrow morning at 4am after a restless night of sleep, I'll get out of bed. I'll walk through the house, and make sure I have EVERYTHING that I need for the next 6 months. I'll watch my boyfriend sleep (yep, big creeper), feed the dogs for the last time for a while, and probably scramble of some sort of blog as I have a mental breakdown. My parents will wake up annoyed as they here me rumbling through the kitchen, and finally get up. I assume my boyfriend will get up with me, since I will need someone to listen to me whine. Haha.

Then, we'll all load into a car along with all my shit, hopefully avoiding anyone falling on there ass at 7am (it's a bit icy). We'll meet friends and family at a local diner, so that I can stuff my face with a short stack of banana pancakes with whipped cream on top. I've been sure to target all of my favorite foods the last couple weeks, chinese, outback blooming onion, homemade potato soup, bbq pulled pork sandwiches, homemade scallops and salmon, among an array of homemade christmas desserts and all the banana bread I want. Thankfully, Bobby and I worked out at the local gym a good amount to avoid too much holiday buldge (but considering I'll be purchasing all my own food, I assume the first few weeks will be a weight loss program of it's own. With this thought in mind my mom has continued to stuff me full).

It's the final countdown (Europe=80's hair band), and I will be sure to update you all on any hilarity that ensues in the morning. Bon voyage tout le monde!

The Beginning

It was mid-June 2009 when the fantastic idea struck me. I'd always planned on studying abroad my junior year, however my junior year was originally scheduled for 2011. Apparently my life wasn't crazy enough with my dual major-minor program, and you know what I said?

"Hell, I'll graduate a year early, and study abroad this coming spring!".

Stupid. I immediately emailed my university study abroad office, assuming I was far to late to apply for a program less than a year away. Boy was I wrong. My school's specific study abroad plan consists of the following rule: Push every single detail off to the last minute, bringing you to within an inch of your sanity with no true outside help, and then get on a plane and leave for six months. Haha, so true. So, as I geared up for my 17 credit fall semester, it never crossed my mind that I was jumping head first into a 2 foot swimming pool.

However, the semester certainly wasn't boring. In my opinion, the process of applying to study abroad should be a 3-credit class in itself, along with the lovely visit to the consulate to obtain a visa, the search for a flight that doesn't rip the money from every source you have, and the final days of packing up for the trip ahead.

The initial process began in September, when I hurriedly arrived at the study abroad office, worrying that I had long missed the deadline for studying abroad in the spring. The woman at the desk stared at me as if I had a pea sized brain when I asked what the application process was for spring semester.

"You have plenty of time, we are currently only accepting application for winter programs. Here are the forms you can start filling out, and because you are going through another school, you should contact that school for more paperwork," she told me.

"Well good," I thought until she slapped a packet of paperwork weighing more than a math textbook on the desk. I quickly figured out that my school would not be very much helpful with this process, considering I had chosen a program at another school. However, this program was not only one of the cheaper options, but was very independent, and would submerge me in the heart of living in Paris. So, after contacting the school in which my program was being hosted, I tried to find out as much information as possible.

"When would I know I was accepted, who should I contact, where should I go?" It was quickly revealed to me that this school, being as it was located 2 and a half hours away, would also be less helpful as I originally planned. So, what to do? I decided I needed to ask someone who had been through the process. I began emailing a guy who had also studied abroad in the previous spring semester through the same program. He was certainly the most informational person I talked to throughout the whole process, sending me advice on where to go, what to do, what websites I should visit, cell phone plans to stay away from, and most important, the best student bars and happy hours:).

So, after learning this basic information, I pushed the process into high gear, and finished all of the paperwork I needed. I was in the financial aid office multiple times, asking questions, and finally obtaining a loan for $7500 to help finance my trip. I was quite the stress case, but I hoped that this coming spring would pay off. I was a nut job in the midst of this process, and I was sure to keep copies of everything as well as receipts. Once my appointments (as in more than one) with the french consulate came, I was more aware of why this was so important. But don't worry, I'll get to that nightmare.

After all the paperwork was finally handed in, I received my acceptance letter from the program itself. I was ecstatic, and I thought to myself, "Hm, should be all gravy from here." Pfft, yeah right. Since I had already obtained a passport in 2008, I now was on to the process of getting a French Visa.

First, we had to make a profile on a website, putting in information such as our language proficiency, our financial means, or schooling, and of course almost every detail concerning our lives. This joyous profile took about a week, but finally I was confirmed. I then made my visa appointment for November. I felt quite behind, but my coordinator insisted I was fine. He said to just not make any flight arrangements until we obtained our visa. Each week I just watched the flight prices go up, but I waited.

Finally, the appointment came. I took the "Megabus" bus service (which I highly recommend with their low prices) and arrived in New York City(2 and a half hours from my school), in order to have said "personal interview". Vague directions stated the paperwork I needed, as well as copies, passport, and a printed page saying I had an appointment. Right.

I made my way down to the city, taking a day off from school in order to finish this. To my utter delight, I made it to the embassy with my boyfriend without getting extremely lost. As I reached the door of the french embassy an hour early (as a precaution), I was greeted my a big man with an even bigger scowl. He was absolutely terrifying. I felt like I was a 5 year old as he grunted, "Where's your appointment page!" in his thick french accent. He looked disgusted as I produced a page that detailed an appointment in an hour, and quickly closed the door, muttering to come back at my appointment time.

"Well," I thought. So much for that. So, my boyfriend and I perused the ritzy french neighborhood for an hour, admiring the clean streets and endless array of fur and jewelry shops in this "Little France" sector of New York. We arrived back to the embassy, and my boyfriend continued on to look around the city a bit more, since no one is allowed inside the embassy with you. I began talking to the rest of the students standing and waiting outside the embassy, and quickly got the impression that this was going to be a less than enjoyable process.

Finally, we were ushered inside the embassy, undergoing a search comparable to international airport security by the lovely man at the door. He quickly pointed and grunted to go upstairs, and a few other girls and I climbed the stairs to our doom. Three hours went by as we waited in a line, not for an interview, but for a quick exchange with a french individual on the other side of a window.

Multiple times we heard the "Shhh" and "be quiet!" screams over the intercom. I felt like I was in a prison, and I would not have been surprised if they had made us don orange jumpsuits. Secretly sending text messages to my boyfriend who was waiting for me outside, I thought I was in danger of being arrested for possessing a cell phone that was turned on. As each person in front of me reached the windows, I heard them each get rejected. I started getting extremely nervous, "How can I return here, I have school?"

When I finally reached the front, my worst fear was revealed. Due to the fact that I did not have a copy of the notarized letter of financial stability from the father that was to the French Embassy, I was rejected. Why the hell I needed a copy of a letter to them was beyond me, and the lady threw some paperwork to me, and instructed me to return another day. I tried to quickly explain I was from 2 and a half hours away, a student, and that I would make a copy right down the street, but she refused to listen. She then called the next person, and I walked away. I was absolutely livid, exhausted, and defeated.

I walked out of the embassy, and immediately started crying. Obviously the best thing to do. My poor boyfriend had stood waiting outside the embassy, so not only was I pissed at the situation, but I felt guilty as hell. Stressed and disappointed, I made my appointment to return the following week by myself. My parents had been less than thrilled at my plans of studying abroad as it is, but my father was not so happy to hear of my tussle with the embassy. "I'm going to write a letter to every congressman, blah, blah, blah," I heard over the phone from my father. "Ok, Dad, whatever you want," I said miserably.

The next week I returned, copy in hand, ready to once and for all obtain my visa, and planning to return to school the same day. After battling the subway and becoming quite lost, I finally made it to my destination at about 11:20am. Well, guess what? The same lovely man at the front door shook his head as I showed him my return papers. "NO, you're late. Come back tomorrow." "Excuse me," I said, "I got lost, I've traveled two and a half hours to be here. I understand I am 20 minutes late, but I also know there's a line up there that will be at least two hours. Please, I can't afford to return here again". Apparently this man heart was comparable to a black hole, and he again denied me entrance.

I was seeing red at this point, and I did what a responsible, mature individual would do. I cried. I had nowhere to stay, no extra clothes, and I was ready to whip out some brass knuckles, and brawl with the french embassy. Luckily, I called a friend of a friend after a few quick text messages, and she offered a night stay at her dorm in N.Y.U. I was so relieved (considering I was weighing the option of staying in Penn Station for the night), and seeing as I was unable to handle the subways earlier in the day; I decided that walking over 100 blocks, "couldn't be so bad".

Shitty idea numero 10132.

By the time I reached her dorm at 6 pm, my legs were swollen and bruised, compliments of the french embassy. Luckily, I indulged on a chocolate cake and some macaroni and cheese, and immediately felt a bit more at peace.

The next morning, I woke to the lovely sound of freezing rain. After many thanks to the girls who had saved my life, I began my trek across the city. Having been wearing the same clothes for over 36 hours and absolutely soaking wet, I arrived as the embassy was opening. Nervously, I shot a dirty look at the same black hearted guard. The man acted as if he didn't know who I was, and proceeded to rifle through my things. The line was much shorter once I reached the top of those terrifying stairs,and I again compared stories with other students returning for the 4th or 5th time. I ended up reaching the windows in a little under an hour. Talk about fast.

The woman who had denied me before again barked at me to show her forms. When I had apparently satisfied her, she smiled slyly. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" I wanted to deck her in the face, but instead I smiled and walked away. I waited in the waiting area for another 45 minutes until a man came out with my passport, and showed me the new sticker that had caused me a week and a half of hair pulling stress, now safely inside my passport. I felt as if I had won a gold olympic medal.

Wet, cold, and ready to go home to my dorm room; I again trudged across the city. I had never looked like more of a trainwreck in my entire life. I stopped by a small pizza shop as I waited for my bus, and devoured a turkey cheeseburger with onion rings (props to that awesome little whole in the wall). Finally, after a snowstorm and hot shower, I was warm in my bed and spent the entire day elevating my legs.

That was definetely the worst part, the part where I questioned whether studying abroad was worth it. However, I know from talking to other people that it will be the best experience of my life, and I just needed to keep on trucking. So I did.

I ordered my plane ticket for a whopping $996 to Paris, France, a good $300 dollar more than the prices a month before. However, it was all real now. There was nothing stopping me from boarding my plane on January 6th.

So, I've spent the last couple days trying to fit 6 months of clothes into a suitcase. I've packed clothes for 2 seasons, and have ditched most of my electronic accessories (minus my laptop). I've learned that while laptops only require a $10 adaptor, hair dryers, straighters, etc. require a $50 adaptor. Pfft, forget that. I'm waiting to buy said appliances when I arrive. I've vaccuum sealed my clothes into bags, and stuffed them all into a very large suitcase (which really is a space saver!). If all goes well at the airport, it will hopefully not exceed the allowed baggage weight.

To sum it all up, this is the beginning of my blog. I'm writing this to keep my friends and family posted on my upcoming trip (entertaining all with my fantastic sense of humor), as well as to keep a record of all my memories. I'm flying out on Wednesday, and I'm both nervous and excited. I will be sure to post pictures at the airport, with my dad crying on the floor in the fetal position, my mother looking less than happy, and my boyfriend ready to kidnap me and take me as far away from the airport as possible.

On arrival in Paris, I have a hostel room for 10 days. Within those 10 days I plan on finding a tutoring position, taking a language proficiency test, getting into a school, finding an apartment with a french student, and becoming accustomed to the French way of life. So assuming a snow storm doesn't delay my flight, I will be extremely jetlegged and lost come Thursday morning in the city of Paris. I will be sure to update as often as I can!

Au Revoir for now!