Why yes, I was up at 5:45 this morning .. okay, well I wasnt out of bed then, but my alarm was going off. Why? Because im a diligent student. No, well I am but today was my turn to go to Marseille to complete the last step of the visa process. When was this process started you may ask.. oh you know, August of last year, but as of today. I am done. I have sent papers, gotten affidavits, filled out forms, mailed checks, driven to atlanta, PAID MY MONEY, been examined TWICE now, and today i was xrayed, checked and stamped for approval to indeed, study abroad in france for 6 months. Oh good thing im only staying for 4 and im well into halfway mark now. Bravo France.
Alas, I apologize for the delayed posting as of late. The weather here has been absolutely dreadful. I mean, Ive seen rain and wind before .. and I hate it .. hence my love for my home state of South Carolina (sorry Ohio, no hard feelings) but here .. in the South of France.. 5 consecutive days of light drizzle and concurrent gusts of wind .. it is just miserable. You can tell, just by walking down the street- that nobody is happy right now. A simple peep into the library at school and its even worse- as the inclement weather has ironically coincided with exam week.
this is the least stressed ive ever felt during a midterm exam week. maybe it is the fact that my classes are spread out such that I only have one a day .. maybe its that my educational background and courses i previously took at USC are actually applicable and make it so that what I am learning here, is just natural and supplemental to what I already know .. or maybe its that I need only to make C's in order to complete my program .. and maybe its the fact that i cant really believe i am in europe and have so many opportunities of things to do that I would rather spend my time not studying.
dont worry mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and others vested in my academic successes .. i am doing superbly in all of my classes and giving my exams the necessary attention they deserve. although, i find it so much more entertaining, challenging and fun to plan details of my spring break. considering a job in travel planning .. i really A)have a knack for it and B) enjoy it .. if only there was money to be made in it ..
I had plans to go travel and see the french countryside and visit smaller towns this past weekend.. but as aforementioned.. we are going on day 6 of yucky weather- and the idea of jumping on a bus at 7am to go to a little town and wander in the rain just didnt tickle my fancies.. so i stayed in my sweet little apartment with my host family and got some important things done .. like plan the bestest most wonderful and not ungodly expensive spring break ever.. look forward to a post specifically detailing this monstrous and wonderful event that is a month and counting away.
it was really nice to just .. be at home.. i enjoyed delicious lunches with my host family (for free) and even more delicious dinners (for free) instead of paying to eat what can only be assumed would be more terribly unhealthy junk food. we watched Les Dents de la Mer 2 .. which just in case youre not up to date on Hollywood films dubbed into french with loosely and often poorly at that translated titles.. is Jaws 2. Dubbed american films are just so entertaining. they do a great job.. ill give it to them .. because i cant read their lips or hardly notice that they arent actually speaking french (Tom Cruise isnt a fluent francophone? NOO, who would have thought, I know its shocking) My favorite is watchign Dawsons Creek- or rather- watching my host dad watch Dawsons Creek ... he is in LOVE with katie holme's character, joey and often compares my life .. to hers. Crazy, yet so adorable
Ugh .. time to go take my last and final midterm. Bonne chance á moi !
