T- 2 Weeks!

It is surreal that in 2 weeks I will be getting on a plane to London, and then France! I haven't started packing yet, and really have no idea how I am going to get everything I need for the next four and a half months into 1 suitcase and a carry-on. Anyone who knows me knows that packing lightly is not my strong-suit. This will be my first challenge to overcome as I begin a semester that I'm sure will have many challenges, good and bad.

This website seems pretty helpful for the packing department:
 http://www.wsaeurope.com/resources/packing/

Last night I received my roommate and housing information, so that definitely makes everything seem more real. My roommate is from Colorado and studies at Gettysburg College, so it is comforting to know that she is coming from an environment similar to Marietta. She doesn't speak any French, so hopefully that will force me to really communicate with our mom in French and get some legitimate language practice in.

The picture below is the general location of my homestay in Aix en Provence!

I also have my official class list, assuming nothing gets cancelled between now and the first day of classes:

ART 232- Survey History of Western Art: Renaissance to Present
FRE 202- Intermediate French
HIS 303- France and Europe in the Cold War
PSY 304- Human Development in Cultural Contexts
WS 303- European Wine Regions

As my final 2 weeks at home are winding down, my focus will be preparing myself with basic knowledge of French history, the history and culture of Aix en Provence, and current political issues. As an International Leadership Studies major I want to incorporate the theories and concepts I have learned in my leadership classes thus far to ease my transition.

Study Abroad Preparations

Study Abroad Preparations!

I am in the middle of the finalization process of preparation for my trip to FRANCE this spring! And it is stressful. My posts in the future will hopefully be much more exciting than this one, but hopefully this is helpful to anyone considering going abroad (and I encourage you to consider!).

This will be my 7th international trip, 5th crossing an ocean, but it is by far the most stressful! I have never been in charge of planning my trips myself, or making sure I have everything I need. I definitely feel like I am an "adult" now.

In a few weeks I will be going to D.C. to apply for my Visa (fingers crossed), and after that hopefully everything else will simply fall into place. Sidenote: If you ever plan on traveling to France for an extended period, start the visa process early- there are many steps and it is very complicated.

In the coming months I will begin receiving more information about my home stay and roommate, as well as the other students in my program, and I will hopefully find out which classes I will be taking (fingers crossed for Wine Studies) so I am definitely looking forward to that!

A Bientôt!
Monica