It’s been just over 100 days since I arrived in Aix, and what an experience it has been. Realizing that this adventure is coming to an end is weird. I’ve begun packing, which has been surprisingly easier than expected, and throwing out endless class notes that I no longer need. I’m definitely ready for the school aspect to be done, but I am getting sentimental about the little aspects that make Aix, Aix.
It’s been three months since I arrived in Aix, and I have spent almost every weekend away, so when it came time for yet another break, as crazy as it is to say, I was pretty tired of traveling. It has been non-stop since I first got here in January, and I felt like I just wanted to hang out in Aix. It’s not that I wasn’t excited for the break, I just felt overwhelmed. But I’m so happy to say that this trip was one of the best of the semester. Why? I was with just two other friends (Sallye and Ally woo!) who were on the same page, and I got to explore a side of Europe that was completely unique from the other places I’ve visited.
My first trip to Paris was in 2010 through my high school. There were about twenty students I had never met, and this was my first time abroad. I was nervous, exhausted, and unsure if I was going to make any friends. Our flight landed at 8 am, so naturally the tour guide thought it would be best to see all of Paris on that same day.
Hello all! It’s been a while since I’ve written anything, as my life has been crazy hectic with traveling, school, and family fun.
It’s been a week since my Munich trip, and I can’t help but smile every time I think of how incredible it was. Everything came together so perfectly, from the travel plans to the travel partners, making it truly wonderful. What wasn’t so wonderful however was our 3 am wake up call, but it made it better to travel with friends right from Aix versus my last early wake up. From the bus ride on we were laughing nonstop, and I knew it was going to be a spectacular trip.
I’ve been in nonstop limbo between getting settled in Aix and exploring Europe, and this past weekend was no exception. (But I love it so no problem here). I went to Dublin to meet up with some friends from Chicago to celebrate one of their birthdays! I’ve known Emily and Liz since I was in kindergarten, and no matter where in the world we find each other, we always have a great time. Emily is spending this semester in Florence and Liz is exploring Paris. The fact that we casually met up in Dublin for a weekend still blows me away.
After non-stop fun in Aix the past two weeks, it was time for my first European trip. There are way too many places to go, and not enough time to do it. Prioritizing has been key, but even still I’m realizing that the idea of going “everywhere” this semester was not going to happen. But my list is piled high with different countries, so no complaints here. I started to feel a bit homesick the beginning of last week, and it felt like a good time to see a familiar face, and be immersed in a familiar language. As much as I love the French, it’s work to try and communicate.
Today is the day!! After what seems like the longest winter of my life, the Netflix marathons have come to an end. I leave for Aix-en-Provence tonight to start my four-month journey in Europe! I am so much more excited than nervous at this point, and am ready to tackle the eight-hour plane ride.
As long as I can remember I have wanted to study abroad, and it seems like as soon as I knew what traveling was I was ready to take on the world. But this past month at home has been filled with nerves, anxiety, and anticipation for today. All of my friends at Miami were going through recruitment, getting back into classes, and going out with each other (#GroveThursdays), and I felt like I was missing out on everything. I know that sounds crazy. I’m going to France! How can I be jealous? But the fear of the unknown has been lingering for months now and not being in Miami really set me straight: France is a very real thing. Read More
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