Getting My Feet Wet

In exactly two weeks, I will be moving to France for nine months. Crazy! I really can't believe that I leave so soon. I remember thinking back in May that summer was going to be so long since I wasn't leaving until September. Boy was I wrong. This summer flew by and with only two weeks left in the US, I'm starting to freak out. Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly excited for this year and all that it will bring. Right now though, my nerves are overshadowing my excitement. I think it's because I'm marching into the unknown, armed with... nothing. (Anybody get that movie reference?) I'm exaggerating of course. I do have my nine years of learning French to help me. I just haven't spoken French in three months, which is a little nerve-wracking. Plus, I have traveled abroad before (Abbey Road Western Civ shout out!) which makes things easier. So then why am I nervous? As usual my perfectionism is probably getting the best of me. I want this year to be amazing and I'm nervous that my expectations will get the best of me. But I think that's why I want to go abroad for the year. I want to experience a different way of life. One where getting everything done precisely on time, exactly how I want it done isn't what is valued. I need to learn to go with the flow more and enjoy where I am when I'm there, instead of freaking out about the future and what's next on my to-do list. I hope I can find that way of life in France, and I really think that I can. Maybe I'll be able to drink some wine and eat some cheese along the way as well.

For those of you who don't know the practical information about my year in France, here it is: I will be in Toulouse, France from September until May as part of the Dickinson en France program run by, you guessed it, Dickinson. I will be taking classes at the Dickinson Center in Toulouse as well as at the Université Toulouse II - Le Mirail. All of my classes will be taught in French, even my Art History ones. I'll be living with a host family that has three kids around my age and two dogs. Since I'm staying for the year, I'll have an internship in the spring at either an art gallery or museum in Toulouse. There is probably more information that I'm forgetting but if you stick around I'm sure I'll give more info in upcoming posts.

This is my first ever foray into the world of blogging so please bear with me. I don't want this to be one of those abroad blogs where I list everything I do and tell you that it was AMAZING! or AWESOME! but I also don't want this to be a super cerebral blog where I'm constantly reflecting. Hopefully I'll find a happy medium so that both you and I don't get bored.. or confused. I'm not sure how often I'll post once I get to France but I'm hoping for multiple posts per week. I guess we shall wait and see. For now, welcome to my blog, sign up to get email alerts when I post, and if you can't read French or don't know how to work google translate, the title translates to "A redhead in Toulouse" which rhymes (kind of) in French. Happy reading!