29 January 2010

Back in France


I guess I'll start this out by saying I'm a newcomer to the blogging world.

Shoot. Maybe I should start with the fact that I'm technically a compulsive liar. [I do it on accident, I swear] Moving on.

True story: my first blog was for an organisation I'm in called AIESEC. I'm sure I'll be talking a lot more about it in posts to come, so we'll leave this first little spiel to the beginning of a five month adventure.

Give me a break, I know it sounds cheesy.

This is my first REAL blog. Let's just say my main reason for creating something I once loathed so passionately is due to my undying dedication to the preservation of trees and the environment; that is, saving trees by having a so-called "diary" via this thing.

My five month [technically six] adventure began with an extra two week vacation after winter break. Instead of decaying away in my hometown for an extra fifteen days, I decided a couple of months ago that I would try something new; screw Kansas, I was going to study abroad. [don't worry, I'll get back to the two weeks]

And so I toiled through the painstakingly long application, essays, acceptance letter, student Visa accommodation, flight itinerary, unforeseen travel delays and sorrowful goodbyes. I'll leave out the details to spare you from suffering of boredom, something I'll save for your professors, parents, etc.

You have to understand, I made this decision on a whim. Hence the URL. There may or may not have been people who made indirect impacts on my decision, but again, that story is for another day. My mother didn't know about my decision to study abroad until just before I was accepted. My closest friends were aware, but I was so pessimistic about even getting in that they paid little attention to the fact that there was an enormous possibility I'd be in a different world for half of a year.

Onward ho. After nearly twenty hours of flight and dozens of obnoxiously artificial flight attendants, I was in Paris again. I had had a brief two month encounter with "La Ville-Lumière" this past summer, [old news, old boy] and thought I'd be more than eager to roam the streets I had wandered during the scorching days of June and July.

The thing is, it's different this time [BIG surprise]. Not only am I not in the 13ème arrondissement any more, I have so much more to miss back home. I know, I know, you want to harf; [for those who are unfamiliar with my vocabulary: harf = ralf, hurl, vomit, throw up] as awful and cliche as this may sound though, I actually mean it. Sincerely. Which, coming from me, is sort of a big deal.

The positive side, however, is how incredibly fortunate I've been thus far. I'm currently located in my own little cabin in my friend Merry's backyard, in Asnières, France. It's a quaint and marvelous suburb about 20 minutes outside of Paris. You must realize, however, that my using of the word "quaint" is directly related to my comparison of this town versus Paris. [So, in reality, it's still twice as big as my hometown in the United States, but miniscule compared to the France I knew first.] How I managed to fall into the luck of free room and board for the second time in France, I'll never know, but shucks am I grateful for it.

Merry is one of my best friends, though he [yes he] lives over 5,000 miles away from me. I met him when he and nine other exchange students from France studied at the University of Kansas for three months. Long story short, stuff happened [that's what she said, but no, really...not that kind of stuff] and him and his family have been awesome enough to host me in my, wait for it - TWO WEEK VACATION. That's right, kids. Be jealous. I'm living the dream, drinking wine, eating cheese and bread, and I get an extra long break.

:short interjection:
So I know you're all probably wondering: how much did his parents have to hate him to name him Merry? In all reality, you should be jealous as hell. His older sister was just as lucky to get such an awesome name; Arwen. If you can't make the connection from that, you should not be on this page right now. Merry and Arwen, what lucky people. I guess all hope is not lost for the French.

This Sunday, my reign as Boss of Paris ends once more as I migrate to Angers, where I'll be studying for five months in a relatively small university. It all comes down to this: school. France. Personal growth. LEARNING. This is my life for the next five months, and gosh darn it, I am going to embrace it with all of my might. Despite the friends I miss so dearly, my two families in both Lawrence and Manhattan, Kansas, and the life I've nearly always known, it's my turn to take a risk. It's my turn to make sacrifices and take a selfish trip to explore and grow as a person. This is what I'm doing right now, and I hope you're as ready as I'm pretending to be to take in and take hold of everything this country has to throw at me.

Toodles for now.

"Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother."
-Kahlil Gibran

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