Picture #1...The French Consulate in SF where I got my visa

visa in hand, and 17 days

I got my Visa today! Now there is nothing left to do but go shopping, pack, and feel all these crazy feelings of excitement and anxiety. I have paid all my money up to date and turned in all my paperwork. so now I just have 17 days....and excuse my french, but holy shit! This is becoming an insane reality. I was so excited this afternoon becuase i got the directions from the bus stop to the hotel in Aix, so i now know where to go when we get off the bus.

It is really hard to stay so positive when i feel so upset about certain relationships ending. Everything works out for a reason i guess right?? One thing that i have noticed is that there are a massive amount of cliches and phrases of wisdom that come with breakups...it is very funny how many times you hear the same thing over and over. This is a bitter sweet time right now i would say but soon the bitter will go away and ill just be left with the sweet...which is perfect!

visa

So, yesterday I went to the consulate in SF and applied for my visa. I should get a call, hopefully saying, to come back to pick it up in 10 days. lets keep our fingers crossed. Once I get my visa there is nothing left to do involving paperwork, just packing...which might be the hardest thing yet.

35 days...

I have exactly 35 days until I board a plane that will take me to France. I am counting down the days thinking there is too much to do before I leave. My busy schedule is doing a good job of keeping my mind off of everything though, (even the important things that need to get done.) I don't know what to say or do to fully prepare myself for this experience, but I do know that I will never forget this constant feeling of overwhelming uncertainty of what my actual feelings are. It is a weird sensation to not be able to exactly say how you are feeling becuase there are too many overpowering emotions and such disbelief that all of this is actually going to happen

Bonjour!

Well, I never thought this day would come; I have a blog of my own. I used to think that it was stupid, and I questioned why people wanted to know what I was feeling or thinking everyday. Now that I have come to terms with the fact that we are at a point in time when there is no such thing as 'personal boundaries,' why not jump on the band wagon? The reason for my blog is that I am going to France in 38 days on August 17, 2009 and not returning to the states until roughly nine months later. I will be studynig the french language and culture while living in Aix-en-Provence. No matter how many books, blogs, or websites I read, I have no idea what to expect. I am leaving the country and starting fresh in a new one, where I will be keeping up with classes and exploring Europe. I am positively terrified, and also exceedingly more excited to leave every day. I still cannot believe that I am doing this (both the blog and France) but here we go! Bon Voyage!