France update

Yes, I'm here. My brain hurts from trying to understand all the French, but it's been going okay. We got here on Friday and took a boat ride on the Seine that night to keep us from falling asleep from the jet lag. Saturday we went around Paris a little bit and went to our host families. Today was church and the Eiffel Tower. Tomorrow class starts. I'm still breathing, still alive, and getting more excited about being here now that I know what's going on a little bit.

Pont Neuf

La Tour Eiffel from the Seine

View from my bedroom window

You can also follow the what the group does through our program blog: byuinparis.blogspot.com

From one P-town to the next

I'm leaving P-town (Provo) and just heading to another P-town (Paris). I'm leaving for the airport in about 30 minutes. Yikes. I'm getting more excited for this adventure though. It will be a grand 'ol time, I'm sure. I'll try my hardest to update this blog as much as I can with pictures and events. Good bye America and bonjour France.

Proof...

... that I am actually still considering going to France on study abroad in a week. I'm proud of myself that I haven't put packing off until the last minute. I'm pretty close to done with it, thankfully. I found out today that laptop has a bad motherboard i.e. get a new laptop. No bueno. But good news! I took out the money from my 401 K and put some of it towards buying myself an ipod. Now I won't have to ride the trains of Europe in silence.

One week to go. Yikes...

Counting Down

I leave for France in about 218 hours. 9 days. My preparations are... well... lets just say I have put things in my suitcase. No matter how many things. The anxiety is setting in as the reality that I am actually going intensifies. The excitement is also increasing, though the fear is certainly overpowering the excitement at the moment. I'm sure these next few days will fly by... and I have to say, I'm getting to the point where I'm just ready to get there so I can stop worrying about it.

Saving the World's Women

This picture that Sars took gave me a little chuckle...



I recently found a very interesting article in the NY Times about the importance of women in the well-being of countries. Countries that have the highest poverty rate are also, not coincidentally, the countries in which the women have the lowest status and are treated the worst. Read this article... keep it in mind. It makes me even more grateful to have been born where I was.

Read the article HERE

Introspection

There are periods of my life when, after certain experiences or conversations, I feel stripped to the core. My body and soul are raw and exhausted from feeling such intense emotions and from getting a glimpse into the very essence of what I am, or what I am not, that I barely have the energy to approach the next day. I suppose these times are beneficial because it gives me an opportunity to prove the strength of my character. It gives me the chance to fight against the almost overpowering desire to simply curl up into and ball so I don't have to face the future and all the things I need to address about myself. It would be so much easier to just stay in bed all day long. So I guess the fact that I got up, worked out, and got dressed today are small victories. Battles are not won by staying in bed.

Introspection has always been particularly difficult for me. Multiple mouths have told me that I'm too hard on myself, yet I hesitate to believe them because I do not want to give myself excuses. I hate to face all the things that I need to work on about myself... it is almost debilitating to me. But I think the time has come to really, truly, confront the things I am lacking as well as purging myself of habits that poison me and inhibit my ability to become what I am told I can. I am dreading how difficult this will be, but I think I've skirted around the issues for long enough. I guess you have to hit bottom before you can go back up. Hopefully I'll be on the rise soon.

Oregon Trip

Okay, I went to Oregon over a month ago, but I figured after a prompt from a friend, I would post pictures anyway. A quick synopsis of the trip: it was great! The weather was gorgeous and the trees were a welcome sight. I had a fantastic time golfing, running, going to Portland for the REI garage sale and Saturday Market, and the coast. I like Oregon a lot... you should go.

Janelle golfing

I went golfing for the first time in Oregon at the Corvallis Country Club. While I was no good, I loved it. We were only supposed to go once while I was there... 3 times later I still wanted more.

Adam, Nicole, Me, Janelle at the Coast

Janelle, Kara, and Me doing... whatever.

The Coast, not the beach. The Coast.

Janelle and me

Gorgeous

Nicole, Kara, Me, Mya, and Janelle

Don't you just wanna sit on it?

My attempts to be a photographer.


Chacos :)

Puffin at Oregon Coast Aquarium

Shark

Ray

Freaking awesome octopus!!!

Sunset