Wooooow, I forgot about this thing hahaha. I'm currently writing this from my classroom in MADRID (I know man, but this time I'm getting a masters ahaha). This is the last full week of classes, and I have about seven minutes left and a giant headache. I'll write some more later, but yep, that's my life rn. Nuts, huh?
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Meet my friends!
First, sorry for not updating very often! I don't know where my days are going; all I know is that they are going by too fast!
Living by myself isn't proving to be too difficult, except for the fact that I have to feed myself and whatnot. That's why I was so happy when, three days after I had arrived, I was able to set up my internet account. It meant that I could look up recipes! It's a pretty trivial thing to write about, but at the moment, I was so happy. I'd have a way to keep in touch with my family and friends from the States, and I would also be able to communicate with all my new friends here.
Speaking of friends, I think it's time for a few introductions. Like I said in the last post, Coddy introduced me to the Mexican guys first. There's Obed, whose room we constantly use as a meeting place; there's also Aldo, Oscar, Fernando and Luis. They are from Michoacan, which is a state right by Jalisco, where my family is from. I was so happy when Coddy had told me that there would be Mexicans coming to France because I would still get to be around my culture, even if I was so far away from México lindo y querido. Although they won't officially let me be on "Team Mexico," I have a feeling they're warming up to the idea.
The next people I met were Chloe and Megan. Chlo is from Missouri. She's really bubbly and just adorable, which is probably why I feel we clicked that first day. Megan is from Illinois. She's kind of quiet sometimes, which is why she's good at Mafia, and she's really nice. She helped show Chlo and me around in Casino, which is one of the grocery stores here in Vichy, since she had arrived a few days before us and knew what she was doing. After Chloe and Megan, I met Andrea and Renata, who are from Slovakia. I said hello in the hallway after discovering that they would be my neighbors, and I went back to getting my room ready. Then, Andrea knocked on my door and asked for an iron; I thought she meant a flat iron, since it was the only thing I had, and handed it to her. She looked at me kind of like I was crazy and said she needed one for her clothes. I laughed and directed her to Obed, who always seems to have everything. The last person to arrive on the third floor that day was Elise, who is from Oklahoma. That night, she was so tired, but she was a trooper and went dancing with us anyway. By the way, she's a really good dancer!
Inal and Declan, who are from Ireland, got to Vichy a few days after I did. I was so excited because I'd get to hear Irish accents all the time, at least for a few months! They’re really cool, laid-back guys. Oh, fun fact, Inal is in one of the FIFA video games because he played on a pro team. (SO AWESOME!) The last people to get here were the Germans, Tobias and Dominik. They were finishing their exams at their home university, which is why they arrived later than the rest of us. I like to throw out random German when I hear them speaking; the first time I told them I had taken two years, I asked them if I could practice with them. I'm remembering many things just listening to them.
There are many more people I've met outside of those who live at Claudius, but this post is going to end up becoming a book if I don't wrap it up. Pictures of everyone coming soon!
Living by myself isn't proving to be too difficult, except for the fact that I have to feed myself and whatnot. That's why I was so happy when, three days after I had arrived, I was able to set up my internet account. It meant that I could look up recipes! It's a pretty trivial thing to write about, but at the moment, I was so happy. I'd have a way to keep in touch with my family and friends from the States, and I would also be able to communicate with all my new friends here.
Speaking of friends, I think it's time for a few introductions. Like I said in the last post, Coddy introduced me to the Mexican guys first. There's Obed, whose room we constantly use as a meeting place; there's also Aldo, Oscar, Fernando and Luis. They are from Michoacan, which is a state right by Jalisco, where my family is from. I was so happy when Coddy had told me that there would be Mexicans coming to France because I would still get to be around my culture, even if I was so far away from México lindo y querido. Although they won't officially let me be on "Team Mexico," I have a feeling they're warming up to the idea.
The next people I met were Chloe and Megan. Chlo is from Missouri. She's really bubbly and just adorable, which is probably why I feel we clicked that first day. Megan is from Illinois. She's kind of quiet sometimes, which is why she's good at Mafia, and she's really nice. She helped show Chlo and me around in Casino, which is one of the grocery stores here in Vichy, since she had arrived a few days before us and knew what she was doing. After Chloe and Megan, I met Andrea and Renata, who are from Slovakia. I said hello in the hallway after discovering that they would be my neighbors, and I went back to getting my room ready. Then, Andrea knocked on my door and asked for an iron; I thought she meant a flat iron, since it was the only thing I had, and handed it to her. She looked at me kind of like I was crazy and said she needed one for her clothes. I laughed and directed her to Obed, who always seems to have everything. The last person to arrive on the third floor that day was Elise, who is from Oklahoma. That night, she was so tired, but she was a trooper and went dancing with us anyway. By the way, she's a really good dancer!
Inal and Declan, who are from Ireland, got to Vichy a few days after I did. I was so excited because I'd get to hear Irish accents all the time, at least for a few months! They’re really cool, laid-back guys. Oh, fun fact, Inal is in one of the FIFA video games because he played on a pro team. (SO AWESOME!) The last people to get here were the Germans, Tobias and Dominik. They were finishing their exams at their home university, which is why they arrived later than the rest of us. I like to throw out random German when I hear them speaking; the first time I told them I had taken two years, I asked them if I could practice with them. I'm remembering many things just listening to them.
There are many more people I've met outside of those who live at Claudius, but this post is going to end up becoming a book if I don't wrap it up. Pictures of everyone coming soon!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Appetizer
Did you know that the word appetizer supposedly comes from the phrase "appetite teaser?" That has nothing to do with this post... although I could be deep and say this will be a little taste for you who decide to follow me during this amazing experience, but the only reason I had that word in mind is because I really want some mozzarella sticks. Anyway, I'm going to start with the whole preparing for the trip because that in itself was quite an experience.
In the beginning...
(See? It's gonna be good!)
I have always known I wanted to study abroad. When Ashley told me she was going to come to Vichy last year, I was so excited for her, and I was also jealous that she and Kaitlyn would have that amazing experience which I had always wanted. Then I got to thinking, Why can't I do it?
I started making mental notes of the pros and cons to studying abroad. I wouldn't see my parents or my sisters, but there are definitely ways to communicate with each other. I'd have to postpone graduation, but that wasn't so bad because I still have some classes to take. I wouldn't see my friends for four months, but I thought about how many new people I would meet. I wouldn't get to see my Chispita for four months, but that little dog has all the pampering she could ever get from my family.
What would my dad do without me at the restaurant? Well, Paola is old enough to start helping out now. What would I eat in France? It would be an opportunity to try out new recipes that I would have never tried at home. Eventually, the pros outweighed the cons, and I decided to take the chance. I'll admit that when Ashley told me she had decided not to stay in Vichy, I freaked out a little and procrastinated on my applications (including the visa, but more on that later). I was going to be in Vichy... by myself?!?!?! How??? I had never been away from home for more than a week! How was I going to come to Europe on my own, not knowing anyone, and survive? It was a scary thought that kept me awake for days. In the end, I decided to just go for it. It had to happen one day, so why not go all out? I submitted my applications, all the while worrying that something would go wrong with them, secretly hoping there would be something to hold me back because HOW WAS I GOING TO DO THIS ALONE? (Mámi and Pápi would be on the other side of the world!)
To apply for the visa, I went to the French consulate in Atlanta with my dad. It was pretty much just me going to turn in some papers, getting my fingerprints scanned and taking a picture; nothing too big. I met a really nice girl from South Carolina, who was going to Grenoble, while I was waiting. (How far is Grenoble from Vichy?) Then, Dad and I drove home after stopping by Auburn to take care of some things for Melissa. I thought for sure that the visa would take weeks to get back to me, but apparently, I applied during the off-season because I received it so soon after my consulate appointment! The trip felt much more genuine when I got the visa back in the mail. I was officially on my way to a semester in France! I bought the airplane ticket soon after (thank you, scholarship) for the 28th of January. I had so much to do, and very little time to do it. I bought vitamins and medicine for the pesky cough I had developed during the week, but I bought no new clothes because I knew that my suitcase was going to be heavy enough with the ones I had packed two weeks before (yes, I might have been a little overeager). Sooner than I knew it, the 28th arrived, and Dad drove me to Huntsville to start my long day of flying. Huntsville, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York and finally... PARIS.
In the beginning...
(See? It's gonna be good!)
I have always known I wanted to study abroad. When Ashley told me she was going to come to Vichy last year, I was so excited for her, and I was also jealous that she and Kaitlyn would have that amazing experience which I had always wanted. Then I got to thinking, Why can't I do it?
I started making mental notes of the pros and cons to studying abroad. I wouldn't see my parents or my sisters, but there are definitely ways to communicate with each other. I'd have to postpone graduation, but that wasn't so bad because I still have some classes to take. I wouldn't see my friends for four months, but I thought about how many new people I would meet. I wouldn't get to see my Chispita for four months, but that little dog has all the pampering she could ever get from my family.
Bye, my Chippy!
What would my dad do without me at the restaurant? Well, Paola is old enough to start helping out now. What would I eat in France? It would be an opportunity to try out new recipes that I would have never tried at home. Eventually, the pros outweighed the cons, and I decided to take the chance. I'll admit that when Ashley told me she had decided not to stay in Vichy, I freaked out a little and procrastinated on my applications (including the visa, but more on that later). I was going to be in Vichy... by myself?!?!?! How??? I had never been away from home for more than a week! How was I going to come to Europe on my own, not knowing anyone, and survive? It was a scary thought that kept me awake for days. In the end, I decided to just go for it. It had to happen one day, so why not go all out? I submitted my applications, all the while worrying that something would go wrong with them, secretly hoping there would be something to hold me back because HOW WAS I GOING TO DO THIS ALONE? (Mámi and Pápi would be on the other side of the world!)
To apply for the visa, I went to the French consulate in Atlanta with my dad. It was pretty much just me going to turn in some papers, getting my fingerprints scanned and taking a picture; nothing too big. I met a really nice girl from South Carolina, who was going to Grenoble, while I was waiting. (How far is Grenoble from Vichy?) Then, Dad and I drove home after stopping by Auburn to take care of some things for Melissa. I thought for sure that the visa would take weeks to get back to me, but apparently, I applied during the off-season because I received it so soon after my consulate appointment! The trip felt much more genuine when I got the visa back in the mail. I was officially on my way to a semester in France! I bought the airplane ticket soon after (thank you, scholarship) for the 28th of January. I had so much to do, and very little time to do it. I bought vitamins and medicine for the pesky cough I had developed during the week, but I bought no new clothes because I knew that my suitcase was going to be heavy enough with the ones I had packed two weeks before (yes, I might have been a little overeager). Sooner than I knew it, the 28th arrived, and Dad drove me to Huntsville to start my long day of flying. Huntsville, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York and finally... PARIS.
Nice to see you again, Notre Dame.
I spent part of the night walking around Île de la Cité, then I went back to my hotel, which was conveniently located next to the Gare de Bercy from where I left the next afternoon to come to Vichy. After I got my giant suitcase situated, I slept most of the way from Paris. I got off at the small station in Vichy, and it finally hit me: I was in France... for four months...! Vincent, a student here at Blaise-Paschal, met me at the station and figured out from my luggage that I was the new kid. He brought me to my new home, Résidence Claudius Petit, and gave me my room key. Vincent left to pick up another student who was arriving, and I stayed to catch up a little with Coddy, who immediately introduced me to the Mexicans. Then, I started to unpack, but with no hangers in the closet, everything ended up piled on the shelves. Vincent came back with Chloe, who is from Kansas City, and we went to get some groceries with Megan and Coddy. We explored a small part of Vichy, which is such a cute little town by the way. Later on, since it was Friday night, we got invited to go dancing. We met many of the other people in the exchange program; it was a fun night! All in all, my first day in Vichy went well. Here's to the rest of the semester!
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