I'm in France!!

I feel like I've said this a million times, but I still can't believe I'm actually here, visiting other countries on the weekend, enjoying French food at cafes on cobblestone streets every other day. I have to keep reminding myself that this is real, and I love that.

And this wasn't even the "cute" part of Strasbourg.

Think about that person that you always thought was so cool and wanted to hang out with just so you could get a little taste of what it would be like to live their lifestyle. Well, for me, that dream lifestyle was basically that of a travel blogger -- someone who can just pick up her life for a weekend and go visit some gorgeous place and create amazing memories through the spontaneous idea turned reality.

“I'm spending four months in the region I have imagined since watching Beauty and the Beast and falling in love with France for the first time.”

Whenever my friends and I buy a new plane ticket, we have that "aha moment" where we realize we get to be those people for the next few months. It's the most amazing, exhilarating feeling.

The Months Ahead

As cool as travel is, my goal for this semester was to get a taste of life in France and see if I really could see myself living here after school. That's always been a dream of mine, but moving across the ocean is a lot more intimidating now that it could potentially only be a couple years away. As a first step, I'm spending four months in the region I have imagined since watching Beauty and the Beast and falling in love with France for the first time. Soon, I'll be starting observations in the local European school to see how schools are organized and run here while also having the luxury of hearing English.

Meanwhile, I will be taking my classes at the University of Strasbourg in French to improve my language skills. In addition to the typical language and grammar classes, I am also taking Le Français par la Radio, les Jeux Littéraires, Le Français du Monde du Travail, La Langue de la Rue (familiar/informal French), and Introduction à l'Allemand (yes, a German class in French).

I also have a good chunk of my learning taking place at home through my home stay. I am living with a single mom and her five-year-old boy this semester. They only speak French, so that means I am constantly thinking. Let's just say I've been needing to go to bed earlier this semester because my brain is already working overtime by the time we get to dinner. That being said, I would not change a thing because this semester and all the adventures that come with it have already blown me away.

P.S.

I will be traveling around Europe as much as possible this semester, so I would love to get advice from those of you who have already been there. I'm open to all kinds of advice, whether it's what to see or what to avoid. I plan to go to Paris, London, Marrakech, Reykjavik, Prague, and various cities around the Alsace region or bordering France. Let me know if you have any ideas!