Here I go!

Current City: Santa Barbara, CA, USA 

With only three more days in Santa Barbara I've tried to soak up every minute of being at home, but I've been way too busy! I've spent the past week packing, running errands to pick up last-minute necessities, and babysitting as much as humanly possible. This will be my fourth trip to France so I have a pretty good idea about what I need to pack...just some bikinis and a French dictionary, right? On Friday afternoon I will board a flight from LAX to Barcelona, Spain to meet up with Miri, my friend from SB. The plan is to travel from Barcelona to Nice in 9 days, making stops along the way in Aix and Cannes. We know where we will be sleeping every night and we have train reservations, but the rest of our time is unplanned! Miri and I have talked about doing a "euro-trip" together for years and years and  we're finally getting around to it.

So here's what I'm about to do...
I will be spending the fall semester of my junior year living in France through a study abroad program with Sweet Briar College. As I said, this will be my fourth stay in France but the most intensive language and culture immersion yet. I will be living with a woman in her apartment in Nice and attending classes at the University of Nice. I have absolutely no clue as to what my class schedule will look like...and the French professors don't even know what they will be teaching! Throughout the semester I will also be able to travel in Europe. A few close friends will be studying in Europe this semester so I will definitely visit Jackie in northern Spain and Miri in Firenze! I will be representing Wheaton College at three college fairs at the end of September in Paris, Geneva, and Zurich and will spend one whirlwind day in each of these cities! In October my dear old Mom and Dad will visit me in Nice for a week before driving around Spain for a couple of weeks. I know a lot about driving with my dad across countries (we've zig-zagged the US 9 or 10 times) and let me say for the record, mom - you have no idea what you're in for :) After my finals are turned in and I've said goodbye to my host mom I have an incredible, overly-romantic reunion to look forward to when my boyfriend and I meet in Paris after 4 months apart. Oh la la!!


If nothing else, this blog will be like a journal where I can record my thoughts, my adventures, and my inevitable faux-pas. It will be amazing to read through in December when I'm back at home in the United States!


Next stop....ESPAÑA!

This photo is from 2005, during my first summer abroad to France. It was taken on a hilltop park in Nice with two other girls from the program. No doubt I will visit this spot again!