5 Days Until Leaving

Hey Everyone!

So, due to popular demand, I have decided to start a blog of my travels while in France this summer!

As the title of this post suggests, I haven't even left the U.S. yet. I'm leaving for Paris on Wednesday the 25th, and arrive in Paris on Thursday the 26th (don't you love the 17-hour flight and the 9 hour time difference?!). I am super excited about going, but somehow it feels like it's not quite real. I have been so stoked for this trip ever since before I even applied to the program, and now it feels so surreal that I actually get to go! I think I always kind of thought that it wasn't going to happen one way or the other, so now it's super excited and I don't know where to start!!

Just to give you a little background on what I'm doing, I'm traveling to Paris, France for a 4-week study abroad program through CEA (Cultural Experiences Abroad), which is a study abroad program for college students that is affiliated with Cal Poly. I will be studying French Language (which some of you know is my true love in life...) at Universite Paris IV - Cours de la Civilasation de Sorbonne, or simply known as La Sorbonne. How awesome is that? I get to study at the oldest university in Paris (established in 1257)! I love studying architecture, and my Pre-historic to Middle Ages History of Architecture class will finally come in handy!

I will be in France from June 26th to August 1st. It's been a long road to get to going abroad for the summer...It's taken awhile to convince my parents that this was a good idea, instead of me doing an engineering study abroad (which were NOT in France, where I wanted to go). I originally wanted to do a whole semester abroad, but that wouldn't work out financially. So, I decided on a summer abroad, and once I saw the program at the Sorbonne I was hooked. SO I applied and got in (obviously), but that was just the beginning. Just so anyone who is considering studying in France has a heads-up, getting a Student Study Visa is extremely hard and somewhat easy at the same time. How is that so?? Well, you must have a myriad of paperwork to be able to apply for a visa...Such as proof of enrollment here and in France, proof of financial security, proof of lodging, and so much else! And not to mention that for San Francisco, you must be present (you can't just mail in your stuff)...so there goes at least one day of school. However, once you're at the Consulate, it takes just a few hours to get the visa! Once I got that three weeks ago, I realized that it was finally going to happen, that I was going to France.

So my main worries now are figuring out what to pack. I know everyone says that you always think you need more clothes than you'll actually wear...but then they haven't met me. I like clothes, and I like wearing different clothes! I'm going to have to figure out how to fit five weeks of clothing in a bag and keep it under 50 pounds! I got some of those space-saver bags, and I really hope that those work well.

I'm also trying to decide on electronics. The iPod is a must, as I constantly use it here at home (though it has been getting very little action this past week while I worked 12-hour days at the pool). I don't have a laptop, but my mom offered me her's. I don't think I'll take it, because that's one more thing I have to constantly worry about, constantly make sure I lock up when I'm not using it. But I've been thinking about getting a cell-phone while abroad. I know I'm only there for a month, but it would be nice to have so I can meet up with people when we go out, and stuff like that. There is a cell phone plan through CEA that allows me to rent a phone in my host country (FRANCE!) and I don't pay any charges for incoming calls. So I could text and call people in my program to meet up, and then use a calling card at a pay phone to call home if needed. It's the trying to get my parents to see the benefits that I'm having trouble with...

That's all for now. I have a few days to pack still, and I won't panic until Tuesday if I don't have everything I need! If you have any advice about traveling/studying abroad, I'd love to hear it!

While I'm in France, I can be reached at my email: lltelford@gmail.com and that will be checked every few days. I will try to get on as much as possible to chronicle my adventures here as an American in Paris!

Thanks,
Lesley