Overnighted Visa Papers!

Oh man! Getting my visa forms together has been a real nightmare. I have to appear in person on Tuesday in San Francisco in order to apply and you have to have a ton of forms done and ready in order to be accepted. The only problem is... When your program won't give them to you!!!

I sent an email a month ago asking for them and got a stupid email back saying that my program coordinator was going to be out of the office for 3 weeks... WHAT. So I said can I get them before you leave since my visa is coming up and I got another email back saying how I am applying too early because you have to be within 3 months of when you leave. Which I was at the time!!! And I don't want to be waiting around hoping it will get back in the mail in time for me to leave so I am applying on Tuesday with it supposedly being done in 21 business days, which makes me consider now to then be the perfect time to do this. But then I get an email back saying how they will send them out mid June… Uh what. So then I wait until last week before I start demanding them again. And then my program coordinator sends us a link to CampusFrance which is a program that you have to get registered in the school system of France to be able to go, which is something that has to be done before you can apply for your visa. That FYI takes 3 weeks to get processed and confirmed. So naturally I did that in March and have been done for ages. But that was all they sent me. So then I called WOU to try and get a form and they were like we can’t give you that and also we don’t understand what you need it for. It was a certificate of Enrollment. That is it… GAH. So finally frustrated I called the main boss lady of the WOU study abroad office and she was like send me the criteria for what you need and I will call them and get this all straightened out. So she did that and not 5 minutes later I get an email from someone at CISabroad and it is a new person saying she just got moved to the France programs and that she is on it like a bonnet and will get that to me ASAP and will even overnight all my forms. So as of 6:15 a.m. today my forms are in the mail and set to arrive here at my parent’s house tomorrow.

Long story short: Get the forms started and done as early as possible, because I would have been really screwed if I hadn’t and had relied on my program.

Pre-Departure Orientation

So today I had a pre-departure Orientation meeting at WOU. And this morning I was checking my email with twenty minutes before class and had an email from the Study Abroad office that pretty much said “Hey! We think that you aren’t actually going abroad because you haven’t filled out all these forms that we never told you about!” And I was like uhhh what? So I emailed back and was like I was planning on going to the meeting but I didn’t know about these forms so I haven’t done them. I would be more than happy to do it by the end of the week. But I have class all day today until the meeting so I can’t possibly get them done! But luckily she was okay with it and I had a little more free time today than I thought I would so I got a lot of them done. But it was a bit stressful to say the least. I was blind sighted more than anything. But the ladies in the Study Abroad office are pretty nice so it all worked out okay. I also learned that the course equivalencies are back with the exception of one so I need to make an appointment with them to sign up for classes. So that is exciting! The only problem is that now everyone who was at the meeting today is going to try and do it all at the same time… But that’s okay I will be around this summer too. But it would be really nice to get it done soon so that I could know what I was doing.

The meeting today was pretty good. I had thought that it was going to be really boring and more of a “let’s all meet everyone else who is going abroad!” but not necessarily anywhere near where you are going… And we did that but it went pretty quick. They covered a lot of important information like packing, finances, transportation, insurance, how to travel by yourself, how to find health information, whether to do this and that. It was pretty good. PLUS! They had it catered with free food! So that was like a special bonus treat. I remembered when I got there that one of the guys in my French class is going to Angers, France. So we sat together and talked about France stuff. They gave me a folder with my name on it with a bunch of information about culture of France and general study abroad stuff. I learned that it is really smart to use freezer bags to pack shirts because you can condense them and they take up a lot less space. But they have to be clear or else you run into customs trouble. Also they say to get a good pair of walking shoes and break them in now. So it’s a good thing that I am on the ball with that one! I was really excited when I got out and have been getting more excited as of late. But then once I got to my car to go home I realized that I had locked my keys in the car… oops. That was a bit of a buzz kill. But I got it figured out. 

I am really excited though and still a bit nervous. I also applied for an ISIC card which is like 22 bucks but comes with some more insurance and is required to have to leave. But I guess that it also gives you some discounts at different places… like Target and Macys! Woot woot! Overall a little hectic but informative day :-)

A Little Teaser Video

So I have been stalking some online blogs from people that have gone on study abroad in the area that I am going to. And I stumbled across this video that I found to be super cool. So I started following the girl who made this video and have started to kind of get a foot in the door with her to find out all I can about her experience to see what it was like and what she recommends and stuff. So that is cool that I found her on the internet. (Thanks Tumblr!)

Anyways this is a video that she made to recap her experience and I asked her if I could share it on here. But I think it is nice to kind of see a little of what happens and stuff. Also I watched it and looked at everyone's clothes which felt a little strange but important!

This past weekend or I guess yesterday really though it seems so long ago, I went with Kristen and Chelsea to go shopping for some new clothes for France. They dress a lot more stylish over there and a lot nicer than clothes that I typically wear so I figured if ever there was a time to style up my wardrobe it is now! So I bought I think two tops and four dresses as well as a few tank tops. Overall it was a fun experience to try some different things on that I typically don't wear to find things that I liked and made me look good without being too foreign. It was great to have some help along in order to get some other opinions or else I probably wouldn't have bought anything because I would be thinking "I never wear anything like this!" But it is just because it is different not because it is bad. :-) But I am very excited about new clothes and things. I want to get a pair of flat boots to take there because I think they would be very handy and go with everything, as well as a pair of not athletic tennis shoes and another pair of leather sandals. I have heard that shoes are very important there so I want to be sure that I don't stick out TOO much but rather have the true cultural experience.

It is now less than three months until I leave and with it already being June I am sure the time will just fly by!
Speaking of flying my mom got my flight changed to the new dates (with only being on hold an hour and basically being blamed for THEIR mistake!) But I again am going to be getting there a day early than I am supposed to. But it was cheaper to go a day early and get a hotel room than fly in on the correct day because it changes from a Friday flight which is expensive to a Thursday flight (which is cheaper). So today my mom booked me a night in the Best Western Marseille Aeroport, it looks nice and will work great! And it is only 300 meters from the Aeroport! I am again happy to be getting there a day early. I think that it will be nice to have the time to adjust myself to the time zone and take a shower or nap on my own time before I meet my family. :-)

Early Start Program

You may or (probably) may not have noticed that there has been a little time change on the countdown clock! Let's find out why!!!

So, I wake up today thinking la la la it's a Thursday going to go do typical Thursday things. And I check my email and I see this email from my program coordinator:

Hi Kacy,

I hope you're doing well and getting excited for your Semester in Aix en Provence program this fall!

Want to arrive a week early and get some language practice in before you start your semester? IAU College is offering a discount to all CISabroad students for their Early Start program, which arrives on August 31st. Here is some more info:

During this time you can expect to earn one course credit, jump start the French immersion process, gain confidence in your language skills abroad, attend lectures, participate in a hands-on environment with small classes and personal attention, learn important intercultural differences and meet French and foreign students through IAU! The IAU Early Start program begins on August 31st, whereas the regular arrival date is September 7th.

Seminar

Monday-Saturday 9:30am-1:30pm

The seminar focuses on four linguistic skill areas: oral, listening/comprehension, phonetics and grammar.

Evenings

Cultural events with French students including bowling, Pictionary night, quiz night, pool night, etc.

This course is not intended to provide in-depth coverage of complicated grammar and vocabulary; it is designed to simply cover all the basics that you need in order to express yourself, be understood and understand French people using the correct grammatical structures.

This class is intended to be fun, interactive and stimulating to ensure the maximum possible gain in terms of language acquisition.

The professor uses T.V., audio and internet-related equipment to support books and theoretical explanations.

And I think to myself:

A. HECK YES!!! THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT!!!!!!!

B. Why did this program not say anything about this BEFORE they tell you to get a flight...

So I forward the email to my parentals to see what they have to say about it. But the more i look into it the more I think man... I really want to do that... Like a lot... That seems awesome. But I'm worrying about the added cost and if I can change my plane ticket without it costing a ton of money. But... Then I look at the schedule for what we would be doing...

Monday

Morning: French language and culture class
Afternoon: Students visit l’Université de Provence guided by French students
Evening: Gathering at Wohoo Bar

Tuesday

Morning: French language and culture class; open air market visits
Afternoon: Cooking class at "The Dolls in the Kitchen"

Wednesday
Morning: French language and culture class; open air market visits
Afternoon: Hike around Mont Sainte Victoire with French students

Thursday
Morning: French language and culture class
Afternoon: Visit of Château la Coste vineyard and Art Culture center (guided tour and wine tasting)

Friday

Morning: French language and culture class
Lunch: Picnic at Pavillon Vendôme
Evening: Karaoke at Wohoo Bar

Saturday

Morning: French language and culture class
Afternoon: Scavenger hunt through Aix with French students

Sunday

(Optional) Excursion to the seaside villages of Cassis and La Ciotat (includes swimming, hiking, exploring and picnic on the beach)

And I think to myself... Yeah I really wanna do that... And as it so happens I CAN!!!!!!!! (Thanks to a little outside money resources that I wasn't expecting but was thrilled to have ;-) ) And I am so excited!!!!!! It is going to be awesome to get there earlier and know my way around town a little better before classes start. And I'll be able to know some people sooner and get myself all acquainted with my family earlier and it is just going to be awesome!!!! So I am really excited about that!!!

So a typical Thusday morning just turned into a way to expand how awesome my trip is going to be! :-)

So now I will be leaving a week earlier on August 30th to get there on August 31st!!!

An Odd Form

So for my capstone class for going abroad I have to fill out an entrance survey. And it is like you know here's a question and how much do you agree that you like to meet new people or questions about leadership and stuff. And it is pretty much just like all basic surveys that I have ever done or personality tests or whatever. And then I get to the next section and the questions are really bizarre like "I support the death penalty", "I often think about the origins of the universe" and "People who want to get rid of sexy publications are mentally ill." and I'm just like... WHY are these questions on here? Are they trying to see if I am crazy? Or are they trying to get my political stance without asking me directly? Like what? Yes everyday I sit down and ponder the origins of the universe, because I have TONS of time to do that while going to college classes and preparing to go abroad. That is just at the top of my list! I just found it a little bit odd :-)

Excited? Nervous?

The other day a family friend asked me how excited I am on a scale of one to ten. I said I was probably a 7.5. It's hard for me to really wrap my head around it still. I'm too involved in trying to get through this term to be totally concentrated on my trip. Which I guess is good for my professors?

I guess right now at this moment I am more scared than excited. Like I'm scared that I will break a cultural rule or be impolite without meaning to. Mom and I are going to get me a more conservative wardrobe. I have to dress more Cassidy Jones like for all you who know her. I'm a little nervous because I don't know what to expect either.

I hope I have wi-fi at my house... I want to be able to Skype people and have it not be super inconvenient. I'm tempted to see if there is any opportunity to help teach English. I think that would be really cool and fun to do. But I am not sure how exactly I would go about finding that out let alone how it would work or if I need any like certification or anything to volunteer somewhere. I don't even know where to bank or what the best way to do anything is logistically... And I think that is part of what scared me. But I am very excited don't get me wrong! But I fluctuate on how excited versus nervous I am.

Tickets!!!

Holy cow! It is actually happening! I have tickets and everything!!! For my visa I will be flying into Oakland at 8:30 a.m. on the 25th of June to do my Visa appointment at noon and flying out of Oakland at 5:30 p.m.! It's a pretty short flight so it will be a pretty fast trip. And I have my tickets for France!

Carrier	Flight Number	Departing		Arriving		Booking Code	Meals
		City	Date & Time	City	Time
AMERICAN AIRLINES	1130	PDX Portland	Sep 05, 2013 12:35 PM	DFW Dallas/ Fort Worth	Sep 05, 2013 06:25 PM	N	Food for Purchase
AMERICAN AIRLINES	78	DFW Dallas/ Fort Worth	Sep 05, 2013 07:55 PM	LHR London	Sep 06, 2013 11:00 AM	N	Dinner Breakfast
AMERICAN AIRLINES OPERATED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS	6604	LHR London	Sep 06, 2013 01:15 PM	MRS Marseille	Sep 06, 2013 04:10 PM	N	Meal
AMERICAN AIRLINES OPERATED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS	6609	MRS Marseille	Dec 19, 2013 12:15 PM	LHR London	Dec 19, 2013 01:25 PM	N	Meal
AMERICAN AIRLINES OPERATED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS	6180	LHR London	Dec 19, 2013 03:00 PM	LAX Los Angeles	Dec 19, 2013 06:05 PM	N	Meal
ALASKA AIRLINES	473	LAX Los Angeles	Dec 19, 2013 09:00 PM	PDX Portland	Dec 19, 2013 11:19 PM	L	N/A

Mom has been playing travel agent and finding the best flights for me. I now have both my flight to Oakland to get my Visa from the Consulate in San Fran and my tickets to and from FRANCE! How exciting! I am pretty pumped! It has been stressful for her as I'm sure it would be for anyone. So THANK YOU MOM!!! I got her a really big Mothers day card to express my appreciation.

But I am so excited to have these tickets! The idea of this trip is slowly becoming more and more real and it is so exciting!

Where the heck is Aix?

Some of you may be wondering where the heck is Aix? And some of you (like my dad) think that it is just somewhere in the middle of France. But you would be wrong (much to dads surprise)! Aix-en-Provence is actually located in the very south of France more to the east than west, and is only 30 minutes (roughly) to Marseille which is one of the largest cities in France located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea! That's right I am down there close to the French Riviera! Oooh fancy! And I will be able to sound very snobbish that I have lived in the south of France.

It is also about a three and a half hour train ride to the Gare de Lyon (a train station) in Paris! Weekend trip? I think so! Ideally I would like to spend more time there but I will have to see how things are when I am actually in France. Also, it is about an hour and a half train ride to Lyon which is where they have the Fête de Lumières!

A new blog for a new adventure!

Hello! Bonjour! Welcome! Bienvenue! I am so excited that you are here! Reading this post! On this brand new blog! And the reason that I have this new blog is even more exciting because in case you didn't know already.... drum roll......

I AM GOING TO FRANCE!!!!!!

Like Legitimately!!! GOING THERE. FOR REALS!!!!!!!!!!!

In case you can't tell I am pretty excited about it!!! But yes after taking 4 years of français in high school and now finishing my 2nd year of it in college (3rd year college level), I have decided to actually put my skills to the test and put myself out there! And I will be doing this in Aix-en-Provence, France!

I am going through a program that WOU recognizes and will give me credits for called cisAbroad. And I will be spending a semester there living abroad with a host family that will not be determined or told to me until two weeks before I leave, and I leave on September 6th to arrive on September 7th! How long am I staying? I am staying for almost four entire whole months! I will get back probably on December 21st or 22nd depending on my flight. Wow I am brave :-) I know!

While I am there I will be attending IAU which can be found at this address: IAU France!
And information about my program can be found here: Semester in Aix-en-Provence!
If you so choose to want to look at that information.

As for paperwork status I have just gotten back my estimated financial aid and I have my passport already but this summer I will be flying down to San Francisco in order to apply for my Long-Stay visa in person! Yeah you have to go to the consulate in person. Also if you call there speaking french they will talk to you in English with a fake french accent but then when you start talking to them in normal English their accent goes away. (Not that I did that...) But seriously it was pretty funny after she hung up I burst out laughing. I just wanted to see if they spoke both. Apparently not? Which seems weird to me. But meh.

But this is my new blog! I am debating on trying to do some vlogging which for anyone who doesn't know means also posting videos. But i am not really sure how exactly to do that. So if I figure it out I will start doing that as well. Also please feel free to comment! I will read them if you do and I am pretty sure I have it set to allow comments from anyone. Also anonymous ones. But I would prefer if I knew who you were...

I will probably not be posting very much until things really start picking up. But feel free to bookmark this blog for future use and I will be coming back to it whenever there are new developments or anyone has questions! :-)

Merci beaucoup tout le monde!