Helllooooooo friends!
Remember last year when I went to Rome for a month?
Yeah, that's happening again. Except this time it's five weeks in Paris, France - May 21 to June 25.
I haven't told a ton of people that I'm doing this, and I think it's
because I am a little more nervous about this trip than the last one. I
went with my best friend last year, and everyone else on the trip was
from the University of Arkansas, so it was a great way to ease in to
studying abroad. This year, I am going with absolutely no one that I
know, and the other students are from all over the country (and world).
There's a weird sense of freedom in not knowing anyone, but I am also
panicky because WHAT IF I DON'T MAKE ANY FRIENDS AND I JUST WANDER
AROUND THE MOST ROMANTIC CITY IN THE WORLD BY MYSELF AND MY LIFE BECOMES
A WOODY ALLEN MOVIE???????? These are the questions that haunt me. My
brain recognizes that they're ridiculous but my inner twelve-year-old is
concerned.
BUT ... by a very strange, random stroke of luck/coincidence/act of God,
my roommate is from the University of Arkansas. We're the only two from
our school on the program, and we never met at any of the preparation
meetings or anything, so I was super shocked when I got the email that
she was my roommate. Hopefully she's not a serial killer? I'll keep you
updated.
While I am in Paris, I will be taking a photography class and a fashion
class. I took
French in high school and for three semesters in college, so I could
have taken French classes while I am there, but I've already fulfilled
the foreign language requirements for my major. But that doesn't mean I won't get an opportunity to practice French. I
(and my roommate) will be living with a middle-aged French couple in the
13th arrondissement (translation: neighborhood). The man is a painter
with an in-house studio, and they have two cats, so it's sort of the
most French thing I can imagine. This is honestly the part of the trip
that I'm most nervous about, because I am not super confident in my
French speaking/listening skills, but I'll figure it out and I am sure
it will be awesome!
I fly out of XNA on Saturday afternoon, and I will arrive in Paris on
Sunday morning. I am going to TRY to blog more than I did last year, so
at least three times a week. The problem is uploading pictures over
European (read: slow) WiFi, so maybe I will just include less pictures? I
don't know. We will all find out together.
I'll post the links to any new updates on my Facebook, so keep an eye
out for them! I'm so thankful for everyone who has been so supportive of
my dreams and follows along with me.
Next time I write I will be across the ocean!
Love you all,
Sydne
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Read more from Sydne at http://theyesgirlwrites.blogspot.com/
To find out more about the ISA Paris, France: Arts & French Language at the Institut Catholique de Paris program, check out http://studiesabroad.com/paris
