The idea of being in France in less than two short weeks seems unreal to me! To think that, eight years ago, I was daydreaming in beginning French class of one day being able to live in the South of France…and now my time has finally come. I cannot wait to relish in this opportunity that I am certain will be life-changing! Specifically, one thing that I am looking forward to is meeting new people from all around the country who share my passion for learning. I am excited to just be fully immersed and drenched in French culture, history, food, art, and of course, language. I’m expecting each and every day to be such a journey in itself that, by the end of it, I will have an endless amount of stories to tell! In truth, I am so over-the-moon excited from what I have read and from pictures I have seen of Aix-en-Provence that I don’t think that I will be able to/want to blink my eyes to miss out on one second of the beauty this area of France will offer me.
Having said that, I am hoping that my upcoming busy semester will still give me some time for exploration to discover other parts of France and possibly Europe. I guess you could say that I get a little bit nervous when my thoughts meander into a world where my academic experience takes up all time for adventure. Overall, though, my worries aren't numerous and I am optimistic that the semester will be a perfect, positive balance of academic challenges as well as freedom to wander. I have confidence that, along with having openness to whatever comes my way, that equilibrium will constitute the ingredients for a successful time abroad! I have never been more ready for this experience of a lifetime to begin!
Having said that, I am hoping that my upcoming busy semester will still give me some time for exploration to discover other parts of France and possibly Europe. I guess you could say that I get a little bit nervous when my thoughts meander into a world where my academic experience takes up all time for adventure. Overall, though, my worries aren't numerous and I am optimistic that the semester will be a perfect, positive balance of academic challenges as well as freedom to wander. I have confidence that, along with having openness to whatever comes my way, that equilibrium will constitute the ingredients for a successful time abroad! I have never been more ready for this experience of a lifetime to begin!