A Lesson in Studying Abroad: Part II

So. I need to stop writing things in parts. I'll get to that, I swear. If you care about Part I in the least, it's here.


So about two months in, I'd think it was safe to say that I've had my share of homesickness. But recently, I've given myself a kick in the pants and realized that I need to stop whining. I'm going to go home on December eleventh. Not before then. Not after then. There is no sense in wishing it would come faster, because it will be here before any of us realizes it.

SO. Things that should probably be done in order to keep you sane.

Eat a lot of food. Yeah, don't go crazy here. But I started the semester thinking that I had to eat close to nothing and spend not a lot of money on food. Now, my friends. I've got some news for you. That made me extremely cranky and bitter. IT IS FUN TO GO OUT TO EAT! There are student menus and cheaper options everywhere and it's nice to treat yourself every once and a while. Same goes with cooking too. Make it an adventure. DO NOT eat pasta every night or you'll rebel. Trust me.

He's so happy we went out, you see?

Take some me-time. It's really hard being in a room with two other people. I know I used to live with seven others. But it was easier for some reason to get an hour to yourself. Please, for the love of God, take your me-time.

Actually see the stuff you're supposed to see in the city. My friends, there is a lot of it, especially in a place like Rome. Have I been inside the Colosseum yet? Nope. Vatican? Uh. Next week! Are those two huge things that people would probably smack me for not seeing? Yes. Uh. I'll get on that. I'm such a tool.

I don't think this counts. At all. I'm a bad study abroad student.

Get involved. Well don't I sound lame? I know it's really hard, especially if you're like me and super involved with a group at home. But you can still do stuff in this program, I promise! It will make you not sit around and wish you were somewhere else.

GET OUTSIDE. Take advantage of any and all beautiful days. I am once and for all starting to get back on my running thing tomorrow. HELLO, NOVEMBER. I'm typing it right here. Shoot me if I don't. Okay?

Send mail! I'm not trying to forget about everybody back home. Just calm down and cut the hyperventilating every time I think about going home. MAIL IS FUN. Find me a person that doesn't like a letter or a postcard. Invest in your friends, my friends.

When all else fails, listen to this guy.

Enough said. It's been happening.

So, as you can see, I've had quite the turnaround. It's nice. I love my friends to death. But I've got exciting stuff here that I should focus on. I've got quite a long plane ride to think about all the fun stuff I'm going to do when I get back. QUITE THE LONG FLIGHT.

In other news...

This is NOT where I'll be living.

I HAVE AN APARTMENT. I HAVE AN APARTMENT. I HAVE AN APARTMENT.

My life is great. :D

Well, Well, Well

My immune system strikes again. Regardless of the fact that I've been a VERY GOOD GIRL and have taken rest days as I see fit, I find myself curled up on the couch in our living room. My apple is half eaten and turning brown because my stomach doesn't want to eat anymore and I'm coughing too much for me to believe I am not annoying Leann.

I should have brought my gummy vitamins.

So instead of galavanting around today, I'm simply going to sit here. Which might be fine for an hour. But we'll see.

In the meantime, I would like to present you will my Fall Break. Fall Break (important enough for capitalization) starts on October fourteenth and I have to be back at school by the twenty-fourth. I think that is PLENTY of time to do some exploring.

We even have rest days at the end built in, so hush.

From tumblr

Side note. If you want to see more amazing pictures, PLEASE go to that tumblr. It's making my travel bug bite itch. Side note over.

That is MADRID, SPAIN, people. I'm so excited, it's insane. I happen to have a very special friend who studied in Spain over the summer, and I am SUPER glad to be visiting where she was. Cough. Kaitlyn. Hi, I love you. :) Also, we're visiting Michelle while we're there, so that's pretty exciting too!!

So we're doing that for some amount of days. And then we found a veryveryvery cheap flight somewhere else.

Stole this from my sister and I'm not ashamed.

WHAT IS THAT IN THE DISTANCE NEAR THE LIGHT OF THIS BEAUTIFUL PICTURE?

Yeah. That's the Eiffel Tower. In Paris. Yeah, I'm really excited. Doesn't even begin to cover it. First and foremost, I get to see somebody that I looooove with all of my life.

EMILY EMILY EMILY. :D

I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE HER AND STAY WITH HER, AHHHHHHHHHH!! We gave ourselves more time in Paris than Madrid and I'm just super excited. Probably doesn't make sense because I can actually function in the language in Madrid. And in Paris I can ask them to go to bed with me, tell them to shut up, or shout ballet terms at them.

I don't think they appreciate any of those things.

So besides struggling with French and going around Paris and exploring, we have some other things planned.

So much chocolate, I'm going to go crazy.

Chocolate festival with chocolate from around the world that only put me out about thirteen euro? Worth it.

This is somebody else I've been missing. He's French, too.

I am legitimately ready to cry with excitement. I'm sure my sister is ready to cry with anger. I'm sure Paul is ready to cry because he doesn't know what he signed up for. And it's sort of expensive, but not really in the grand scheme of my LIFE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. But we saved a lot on flights and hostels, and really I don't know when I'll be back in Paris. And. And. And.

Kaitlynloveyoumissyou.

NONE OF YOU SHOULD BE SURPRISED. NONE OF YOU IN THE LEAST. YOU SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED THIS. AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR A WORD.

Now I've just got to get to Florida. Those priorities, I tell ya. Not ashamed. 

This will be a nice hold-over until I can get home for Christmas.

Sorry, Dad. It's happening.

Happy three months until Christmas! Felice tre mesi fino a Natale!

Which is probably wrong because I typed it into Google Translate. But whatever. I tried. I can handle goodbyes!

Ciao, adios, and au revoir. :)