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 :)