And the countdown continues…

Just one more day until I leave for my semester abroad!

As I sit on the floor, attempting to shove as much as possible into my three bags, I thought I’d take a break and share with you what I’m thinking and feeling right now. Like I said in my first post, there are still so many unknowns, but I’m doing my best to face them head-on:

• Do I actually know as much French as I should?
• How does the metro work and will I be able to figure it out on my own if I’m jet-lagged?
• What does the cold feel like and did I bring the right clothes? (Coming from spending most of my time in New Orleans, this is actually a valid question).
• Where should I go to buy all my necessities once I’m all moved in?
• Can I actually survive if my diet is 95% made up of just bread and cheese?

This being said, I’m sure that once my first day is over and I start my Welcome Week program, get some sleep, move into my housing, and have a routine, everything will fall into place. Up until the past week, I was SO excited for this adventure. Then, suddenly, the reality of it kicked in, resulting in knots in my stomach and plenty of anxiety. What I’ve found, however, is that once each task is completed, from buying more stuff in the past week than the past year to meticulously printing and compiling packets of documents, I’m a bit more at ease (what can I say, I’m an organizer at heart).

I took some time tonight to reflect on my previous international trips. I remember the mixed feelings of excitement yet comfort upon visiting a new city. Though there is so much to see and explore, I always feel like the world is smaller than we make it out to be and that we’re never really that far from home. Everyone has been telling me that this experience will be life-changing, but maybe if I just think of it as an average trip, I’ll feel more at home and be able to live in the moment. Tomorrow, as I say goodbye to my family and board the plane, my goal will be to have an open mind and just say yes to the possibilities, rather than trying to plan out every detail from the very beginning.

Maintenant … Au revoir États-Unis … Bonjour Paris!