Wow, it is so crazy to think that I will be leaving on Friday! The summer has breezed on by, for which I am thankful and quite anxious! The preparation process for the coming semester has been tedious and frustrating at times, but I think it'll all be worth it once I step off the plane.
With less than a week to go, I am getting more excited by the day although it all still seems a bit surreal. At the start of the summer, a year in Aix seemed so far off in the future, but as the summer months have quickly passed me by, I find myself imagining what this new chapter will bring. There are so many things that I am looking forward to, as well as a few things that I am already nervous about.
I am so excited to be going somewhere new and unknown; adventures are something that I cherish and everyday in Aix will be a new one! I'm also looking forward to meeting new people, new friends! And obviously I absolutely cannot wait to do some traveling to really experience France and its beauty( Its going to be more than just google images for me know!) Oh, and how could I forget the food?! I am stoked to try all sorts of new treats and hopefully I can come home with some new recipes to share! Also, I am super excited to meet my host family and their daughter! There are so many more things that I could add here, but I think they are better saved for a future post.
To somewhat balance out my excitement, there are definitely things that I am worried about as well! The biggest one being the language barrier: yes, I took French for almost five years, but I don't think that high school French has quite prepared me for what I am getting myself into. I am definitely rusty, even with a semester of a review course. I know that with time things will start to come more easily, but the first few days/weeks might prove to be very difficult! I'll just have to let you know.
In my pre-departure experience, I have had to make a few trips to the consulate to sort out my visa. Filling out the required forms and getting all of the necessary documents was kind of annoying and time consuming, but not too difficult. The actual visa appointment was so much quicker than I had anticipated. But its all sorted and I picked up the lovely new addition to my passport a few weeks ago.
My latest challenge has been packing. How do I fit a semesters worth of my life into a single suitcase? I keep thinking about what I absolutely cannot live without and there are so many things that come to mind, although in reality, I know that I don't actually need to bring 5 books to keep me company on the flight or the little stuffed animal that has been with me since the start of college. Thankfully I have narrowed my selection down to a single book and about two weeks worth of clothing, give or take a few extra pieces. I haven't made too much progress yet, but it's a start!
This upcoming week is going to be a tough one, I don't like goodbyes and I will have to say goodbye to some people that I love so much. I am definitely going to miss California, it's familiar, it's where some of my best friends are, it's filled with family, and little comforts that I take for granted; it's home. I know I am going to have to face it sooner rather than later, but I really wish that I could take them with me to explore and learn and be inspired. But some adventures are meant to be taken on alone; they require a head first dive into the unknown and here I am –toes on the edge of the diving board– ready to jump.
Well, that's all for now!
xTayler
With less than a week to go, I am getting more excited by the day although it all still seems a bit surreal. At the start of the summer, a year in Aix seemed so far off in the future, but as the summer months have quickly passed me by, I find myself imagining what this new chapter will bring. There are so many things that I am looking forward to, as well as a few things that I am already nervous about.
I am so excited to be going somewhere new and unknown; adventures are something that I cherish and everyday in Aix will be a new one! I'm also looking forward to meeting new people, new friends! And obviously I absolutely cannot wait to do some traveling to really experience France and its beauty( Its going to be more than just google images for me know!) Oh, and how could I forget the food?! I am stoked to try all sorts of new treats and hopefully I can come home with some new recipes to share! Also, I am super excited to meet my host family and their daughter! There are so many more things that I could add here, but I think they are better saved for a future post.
To somewhat balance out my excitement, there are definitely things that I am worried about as well! The biggest one being the language barrier: yes, I took French for almost five years, but I don't think that high school French has quite prepared me for what I am getting myself into. I am definitely rusty, even with a semester of a review course. I know that with time things will start to come more easily, but the first few days/weeks might prove to be very difficult! I'll just have to let you know.
In my pre-departure experience, I have had to make a few trips to the consulate to sort out my visa. Filling out the required forms and getting all of the necessary documents was kind of annoying and time consuming, but not too difficult. The actual visa appointment was so much quicker than I had anticipated. But its all sorted and I picked up the lovely new addition to my passport a few weeks ago.
My latest challenge has been packing. How do I fit a semesters worth of my life into a single suitcase? I keep thinking about what I absolutely cannot live without and there are so many things that come to mind, although in reality, I know that I don't actually need to bring 5 books to keep me company on the flight or the little stuffed animal that has been with me since the start of college. Thankfully I have narrowed my selection down to a single book and about two weeks worth of clothing, give or take a few extra pieces. I haven't made too much progress yet, but it's a start!
This upcoming week is going to be a tough one, I don't like goodbyes and I will have to say goodbye to some people that I love so much. I am definitely going to miss California, it's familiar, it's where some of my best friends are, it's filled with family, and little comforts that I take for granted; it's home. I know I am going to have to face it sooner rather than later, but I really wish that I could take them with me to explore and learn and be inspired. But some adventures are meant to be taken on alone; they require a head first dive into the unknown and here I am –toes on the edge of the diving board– ready to jump.
Well, that's all for now!
xTayler