Paris Awaits Me

It hasn't sunk in yet. I'm studying abroad.

Two weeks remain. Then I climb onto a plane without keys or a familiar face. Everything will be different. I will leave my comfort zones behind.

The Gator Nation is everywhere. The other UF students with International Affairs and the Public Sphere and I have Paris covered.

I'll have three and a half months to explore, to take interactive classes, to soak up French, to devour tasty cuisine, to stare at art, to make friends, to travel, and to uncover new history and culture.

My goal is to dream in French. I hear this means you're fluent. My French family should help me pick up the language and make The City of Lights my home. I will reside in their apartment with their three teenagers.

My life began in Europe; now I return as a 20-year-old to live there again. The above picture is of one of my first vacations. My parents bundled me up and brought me to the Palace of Versailles.

My passport came back to me today with a fresh visa stamped in it. Now I just have to pack and wait expectantly.

French Fact: Paris is the second largest city in Western Europe.