5 more hours!

All Packed!! I don't even want to know how much all that weighs. And most likely, I won't come back with half of this stuff so that I can bring back different stuff from my shopping sprees in France :D 

My mom has a little tradition with keeping wishbones. She's giving one to me before I leave so I can make a wish. How cute :) 

The butterflies in my stomach are nauseating. I don't normally not eat when I'm anxious but I had to force myself to eat this morning, even when I was hungry. I knew if I didn't I'd regret it later, but I am so freaking antsy. I've never been this anxious before and I don't know what to do with myself! 

In case you don't know what Marseille looks like... :)

In a few days' time I will be able to upload my very own pictures of these very places :) 

It's here...

Time to really mentally prepare myself. It's almost like an out of body experience though, how after years and years of knowing I was going to spend the year abroad, it's finally here. Yet I don't feel like it is! Tomorrow I leave for ten months to spend the year in France, my calling. It's so... unbelievable. Time passes so strangely as you get older... I know now what adults mean when they say "Time passes in the blink of an eye." On one hand, the beginning of my sophomore year feels so long ago. Yet, I have so many ridiculous (in a good, shenanigans kind of way) memories that are so clear, in my mind I feel like I can go back to those exact moments and remember the tiniest details. Time passes so quickly, and ironically, in the "blink of an eye" you can recall certain moments like they happened just yesterday.

I also found a journal that I had written while I was in Montpellier two years ago. I was a wise one even two years ago! At least... in regards to my passion (French). I wrote something along the lines of:

"I am just so happy here, sure it's easy to be happy when you're on vacation in a foreign country. But it's hard being in a new culture. Despite that, I just feel different... I feel... good. All the time. A future in France is exactly what I want, but it's intimidating; a new culture that I have to figure out... How would I even find a job, or an apartment? I don't know how any of that works. But I must make baby steps before I even think about that yet. It takes time, and I will figure it all out, I just need to be patient." 

Damn. An 18 year old wrote that? I mean not to toot my own horn or anything but I guess reading that gave me a sense of calm. It's like my 18 year old self wrote that for my 20 year old self. And I guess I'm fulfilling my own prophecy. It's just crazy. I remember having a mental chat with myself when I was a junior in high school about what I wanted to do with my life. You know, high school teachers are often asking you that, and I guess I never felt the pressure to know but I was just thinking about it. It used to be teaching, then photography, then teaching, the psychology... then I thought, OH. I'm really good at French. I've always loved languages... and I really love French. UMMM DUH. Why don't I just pursue that?! It was like a legit AH-HAH moment, like my subconscious knew all along and took a sigh of relief once I finally realized it. Everything suddenly made sense... It sounds cliché but it's so true. I've known my passion, my calling ever since. Now, I still don't know what my career will be, but I know what I'm passionate about and that is a good enough start I think. Since college I've also discovered other things I'm passionate about, even if French will always be number one. Politics, for example. Could discuss/argue politics for daysssss. Same with anthropology. Love learning about the world and other cultures..

Long story short...... The fact that I'm moving to France for 10 months tomorrow, is simply proof that ever since that day junior year of high school... I've known deep down that this would be my future. And I'm right. That feels good. It's as if everything is all coming together...

Tonight, I had a quick chat with my friend Jenn. She spent a semester in Marseille, and I thought she might know something more than I did about my host mom, Marie. She happened to know who she was as a fellow classmate had the same host mom I do, and apparently she's totally awesome and I'm going to love her. That was a huge relief! And it only amped up my excitement even more. I don't think I can even comprehend how good of a time I'm going to have :)

I also bought gifts for my host mom today. A table runner, homemade soap, Oregonian Smith Tea, and raspberry-pepper jam (It's... interesting, but good). All from a little boutique by my house!

Tomorrow I plan on getting up early so I have the whole morning to relax (and finish packing :P) with my family. We'll leave early for the airport so we can take our time saying goodbye. It's going to be hard, especially for my mom and I. But I know that time will pass quickly and they will come see me in December.

I don't even know how I will sleep tonight!

Bises,
Katherine

Famille d'Accueil!

I finally received the news about my host family! ENFIN. Je devenais impatiente! 
I was so excited when I read my address and host mom's name (Ouais, just one host mere, but she seems cool from what I saw on Facebook! FB creeping skills came in handy and I am not ashamed), that I was literally shaking. I instantly looked up where I live on Google Maps/Earth, and seeing my cute little future apartment above a tiny, narrow rue Marseillaise, it's just intoxicating. I am simply over the moon about this. The level of butterflies/anxiety/excitement/nervousness/anticipation is killing me! I mean, I leave in roughly two days, but I don't arrive for well over three as the travel time is brutal. But I remind myself that these days will fly by, as will the rest of this entire year and experience. Patience, must have patience... And appreciate the now. That will be my inner mantra all year.

Speaking of travel, here's what my flight schedule looks like:

PDX > SFO
3 pm > 5 pm

SFO > Frankfurt, GER
7 pm > 3 pm THE NEXT DAY..... -.-
I have traveled internationally before and I get it, the flights are long, but that's 11 straight hours. Yikes.

Frankfurt, GER > MARSEILLE BABY, youpi! 
4 pm > 6 pm


My mom was getting sad last night when I was getting all excited and then it made me sad. It's hard being this torn, being so excited for something you've waited practically half your life (or what feels like half my life, haha) to do, but at the same time knowing that despite this passion for something, it doesn't make being away and saying goodbye any easier. The second time I went to France, I wasn't homesick at all. Mostly because I already knew one out of the four people I was living with for that month, and because it was only one month and I knew I would be home again. Although I know I'm coming back home, that's ten months away. I will see my family at Christmas when they come visit me, but that's four months away. It's hard for me like it's hard for those seeing me go. Je t'aime maman <3


Now it's time to get down to business. I got over my procrastination (kinda) and made a to-do list this morning, already checking things off. My biggest concern is making sure I have all my documents and copies of them, and then not forgetting anything in my baggage. Knowing me, that will most likely happen, I'm just hoping it will be something trivial, banal, insignifiant haha.

FYI- I'm going to incorporate more French into my blogs, until hopefully at one point I will write them first in French for myself, and translate them into English for you all. You can also use Google Translate if you must :)

Bises,
Katherine

Three Days...

Until I move to France for 10 months. Straight. No going home. 

I. Can't. Wait.

I understand that I'll experience homesickness, perhaps culture shock, and there are going to be times that I miss my friends and family terribly... Even now, I think to myself: Woww this sucks. I am going to miss out on an entire year of good times with friends at Linfield. I will miss recruitment for Phi Sig, I will miss living with my best friends and having the craziest times with them, I will miss long study nights and procrastinating in the library when I should really be doing homework. But I know that I have just as memorable times coming up. Except the setting will be totally different, all my new memories will be in French, in an awesome city, Marseille. It's got something Linfield sure could use a little more of- DIVERSITY. 

With a large immigrant population, I will almost blend in by being a foreigner. It will be a nice blend between France and French culture, and a melting pot of Arabs, Spaniards, and a hodgepodge of other nationalities. Part of my program requires me to not only study politics and French (for my French and International Relations majors), but also a bit of anthropology/sociology and Arabic! I am preeettty excited for classes. 

Tonight I find out who my host family is and where I'll be living... :D 

I am stoked.

Aaaand currently I have lots of butterflies in my tummy.

I have lots to do... which is kind of overwhelming when I realize I only have 2 full days left in the States (!!!) but I'm a natural, professional procrastinator, so it's okay. 

I should probably finish my pre-departure essay for my French professor now.... (Desolee M. Durand!) 

What can I say... I'm a procrastinator :)