The Adventure Begins

Winter 2015. I've been impatiently counting down the days for years! Now that it's been somwhat decided that next year I'll have the opportunity to spend a semester in Paris, it seems more unrealistic than ever...even though I had already decided that I'd be going on an exchange as soon as I was accepted to University. I had totally disregarded the possibility of not getting selected to go abroad, not having the financial means to live in a foreign country, and the "worst" case scenario - not getting selected to go to Paris. Everything I've done throughout the past three years feels like it has been leading up to this moment: from carefully selecting co-op jobs to trying to maintain a certain GPA to keep scholarships.

I have never been so sure of anything in my entire life. Now that I'm only 4 months away from having my dream fulfilled, I frequently question myself if it's actually happening...to the extent that I've had difficulty sharing the news with my friends. It seems ironic saying this and then starting a blog to let strangers on the internet know I'm going to study abroad. However, I want to keep track of my experiences and be motivated to write about them - and if there's anyone who enjoys reading my posts, I'm welcoming them to follow me on this journey. I am beyond excited to get the chance to spend my first semester as a University senior in Paris, and I can't thank my home institution enough for giving me the opportunity to do so. I know my way getting there will not be paved with flowers: applications, visas, course selection, apartment hunting (!), devising a budget, and probably other stressful things that haven't even crossed my mind yet...but I can't wait to embark on this adventure!

[All the above pictures are from March 2010, the first time I visited Paris]
Thank you for reading.

xx

T.