With A Little Patience and Persistence...

My life as a study abroad student with adventures to share has officially begun.

As if the 11 hour transatlantic flight wasn't proof enough, my traveling savvy has been tested, and the grades are in:

• Ability to keep calm in a high pressure situation: F
• Ability to speak or understand another language: F
• Ability to find an Ikea within 14 miles: A-
• Ability to get to that Ikea in less than 3 hours: D+

On Saturday, my two gal pals and I decided to embark on our first travel excursion outside of Aix en Provence to the well-known Swedish home furnishing store, Ikea. I needed to pick up a few linens and decor for my new villa, and Jill and Brittany (said gal pals) wanted to get some ideas of prices.

We boarded the bus to Vitrolles ( a small town on the outskirts of mighty Marseille) and asked the bus driver if the bus goes to the city, or makes a stop at Ikea, which is also around a large shopping center, or centre commerical. He replies something inaudible, but says, "Oui, Vitrolles".. so we pay him 2 euro and anxiously take our seats.

There I sat, frustrated with the bus driver, angry and annoyed thinking, this would never be acceptable in the States, there has to be some common courtesy.. and so on.

As soon as our bus halts into the city bus station 25 minutes later, our driver hops off and runs to a city bus to ask the driver... which bus to take to Ikea. How DUMB we felt!

What a nice man.

I love the French.

So we eagerly take the advice of the nice gal driver, who's English is welcome to our ears, and take a seat on a bus that smells faintly of unwashed bodies and onions.

45 Minutes later, we arrive in what we now refer to as "East LA". Trash everywhere, scary looking people and apartments, and there were are, sticking out like sore thumbs, our great blue and yellow mecca nowhere to be seen.

How awful.

What are three american girls to do.

The bus driver makes us get off, claiming we must get on the same bus number (24) and go back the other way.

I am starting to get annoyed with Ms. original bus driver who lied to us.

So we cross the street, fearing for our lives, and await the next bus flashing "24"

35 min later, we arrive back at the bus station.

Is this fun?

" I am WALKING to Ikea." I stubbornly claim.

10 minutes into our walk, I get an idea.

We should cross the street, and get on ANY bus going the direction of Ikea ( which is up the road, we saw signs).

Brilliant.

Is it?

We cross the street, and await our beloved line 24.

It will be here in 22 minutes.

We could walk there in 22 minutes.

Let's walk, Brittany says.

Not 4 minutes later, bus 24 comes strolling by, taking with it our hopes, dreams, and patience in one gust of smog filled wind.

It stops a few meters ahead.

So I begin to run.

Do you know how long its been since I've run?

There I am, hot wind of the valley rushing past me, palm trees swaying lazily in it.

My life passes before my eyes, and I raise my hand and yell "arret!" (stop!).

The bus, mockingly speeds away, as my favorite sandals beat against the sidewalk, slapping it with each step.

I stop short, my coach purse flying onto the sidewalk, and direct my gaze and anger, upward.

"This isn't funny anymore!!" I say to the sky.

Our trek continues for close to 30 minutes, and we finally see Ikea on the horizon, calling us home.

Sweaty and tired, we walked through those automatic doors, and all our troubles are forgotten, for the moment.

We ended up having a wonderful time, with a safe and uneventful return back to Aix. It wasn't funny then, on the blazing hot sidewalk, but I am smiling as I am recording it.

Je Parle Francais

Or do I?

Today was our placement test for our intense language class that we are going to be doing for 4 weeks until the regular semester starts in October. I arrived at our school promptly at 10am, and took the written portion, which was mostly fill in the blank.
The last page was quite fun, even

There was a comic with a dog and his owner, and we had to write in what captions we thought it would say.

It was hilarious.

Then at 3pm the oral portion was given, and I had to chat with a french proffessor about myself and my plans. Although I am fairly certain when she asked me if I had ever been to France before I said I worked in southern France all summer, which is clearly a mistake of the verbs travel (voyager) and work (travailler).

Oops.

She got the picture. I am anxious to see what level I will be placed in.

Today was also the first rainstorm since May. As I was walking to school it began to thunder and lightning, soaking my fabulous sandals.

Who knew?

For rent: Inquire Within

This is our room
Living room with dining for six
Fireplace!
The kitchen is my favorite room in the house!
The view from the square in front of our apartment
Our front door!

I found an amazing apartment.

There is just no other way to say it.

After days and days of looking/searching, calling landlords and agencies that may or may not speak english, and traipsing through the blazing Medditeranean sun, my partner in crime, Lindsey (of CSU Monterey Bay) and I viewed an apartment that we both fell in love with on the spot.

It is literally right across from school, it has a view of two little cafes in the square it overlooks, and it is in a beautiful and very safe neighborhood. The wooden doors to enter our building look like a castle archway, and there are buzzers with a little microphone thingie so when people come they have to be buzzed up!

It is one huge bedroom with two twin beds, a large living room/dining room with seating for 6, and a great kitchen. It has a washer /dryer, dishwasher, range stove, spacious oven, and of course, it's totally furnished.

The bathroom has a large tub (those of you who know me know I LOVE a tub!), a sink with counter, and get this, a bidet! ( For those of you who don't know, the french have a little toilet looking things that you "flush" and water and soap come up and rinse off your tushie.)

There are huge open windows in all the rooms.. and the large windows in the bedroom and living room have gorgeous shutters!

Linds and I are signing our lease Monday, we want to have our program director read it over, because it is all in French, and we want to make sure we get it right.

Our move in day is September 1st, and we are really ready to be in it!

First Impressions.

I have arrived! As many of you know I am here safely in Aix. My journey here was not without its adventures (which let’s be real isn’t that point of this?). Here’s a recap:

My check in at the Air France counter in San Francisco was the first snag I unexpectedly hit. The bag I was to carry on was too heavy, so I unexpectedly had to check it in. No problem, right? Wrong.

In it was anything irreplaceable (like the Breaking Dawn book Sarah had written in) my favorite and most precious jewelry, Lola (my laptop), and various other momento’s. It also contained everything I would need for up to 4 days, if and when my luggage didn’t make it to the airport in Marseille.

If my luggage didn’t make it now, I would have six pairs of shoes, but nothing to wear.

Ten hours and three diet cokes later, I arrived in Paris. Our descent over the city and into Charles De Gaulle reminded me of how powerful Paris is.

There is nothing like it.

The sheer size that it appears to be from the air nearly brings any highly emotional person (which we all know I am) to tears. Just imagining the history of the city and the cosmopolitan feel that it has as a modern day capitol makes you excited about life.

As far as the eye can see, there are buildings. People. Businesses.

At the airport in Paris we joined our other half, the Los Angeles group flight students, and anxiously awaited our one and half hour flight south.

As soon as the captain of the plane announced (in French) that we were beginning our descent into Marseille, my eyes flew open out of my quazi plane slumber and looked out my window.

The deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea took my breath away, literally. Looking down on this seaside town, with its two and three story cream-colored French villas with red shutters, rooftop gardens and pristine blue-green swimming pools, I could barely believe this was new home.

The resident director met us promptly at the airport, and I anxiously watched the luggage carousel as all my bags slowly made their way to me.

When the automatic sliding glass door opened to let me out of the airport, my face was met with a heat not unlike that of summertime in Chico. The smell of sea salt, and the humid ocean air were the only difference, washing over a girl like the smell of a strong perfume.

These last few days have been a blur. I love being back in France, and I have heard time and time again how lucky I am to be a student in southern France by people I meet, booth French and foreigners alike.

I am much more confident speaking French (by speaking I mean mostly motioning, pointing and muttering what I think I might mean) than I was last summer.

I have already fallen in love with Aix en Provence. Not only is the city beautiful, but people are so friendly it has a feeling like the city is so alive. There are so many happy couples holding hands, families with children, and young people walking the streets, eating at cafes , and shopping at the many boutiques all around town.

As I walked around the city, taking in the sights and smells, I realized why there have been so many books written on life in Provence (all the Peter Mayle books, ie). Life seems somehow sweeter, slower and more in tune with human nature...almost like the people are closer to the earth.

In Aix, there is a lot of green ivy that grows on the buildings, especially in the residential parts of town. The feeling you get when you see green leaves wrapped around beige and ivory toned walls and crispy white shutters is unlike anything you experience in the States, even in the "country".

Today was our first orientation day. We met with our resident director (Markus from CSU Long Beach) and Caroline (our assistant director), she’s a French local and native. Both seem very competent.

I have another two weeks of orientation, which include a cell phone day, apartments/housing day, banking day, ect… Orientation only goes from 10-12, so we always have the afternoons free to go to the fresh fruit market or take naps to catch up on our sleep.

Mr. Jetlag has wanted to be my best friend, but I’ve avoided sleeping during the California night time so as to adjust more quickly.

The internet costs 3 euro a day at our residence hotel, so who knows how much longer we will want to pay for it! I will be in my newly found apartment soon enough, however, then the skyping can begin.

So far, so good.

If It's Not Baroque, Don't fix It

Or at least, according to our tour guide today.

All the buildings in Aix are of the baroque influence.. so immediately I was reminded of Lumiere's comment from the Beauty and the Beast, which I thought of as I was standing in the hot, pressing humidity classic to the summers in southern France.

The first few days have been amazing! Aix is so beautiful. The internet costs a TON, so more to come soon, when I am in my new apartment.

Wish me luck finding one.

A Boy Scout is Always Prepared.

Well, we are t-minus one day until my departure.

I have been preparing for months, but mostly for the last two weeks in Redding at my parents house. The pictures above are of my getting ready efforts! I have said goodbye to my best of the best friends, and have done more laundry than I ever imagined.

Mumsy and I have been shop shop shopping, trying to get anything and everything I could possibly need for the journey, and year. My suitcases are about 3/4 packed, and my new travel purse is ready to roll ( Note to Sarah and Stephanie-it was the right choice for sure!).

I did get my passport in a timely manner, no thanks to Fed Ex or the French Consulate. Today is Sunday, my last day to get everything together. We are leaving for San Francisco International Airport at 8 a.m. I should be in Paris around 9:30 a.m. France time.

Avant le depart. Before my departure.

Hello everyone!

Promptly after seeing the movie Julie&Julia, I came home and created my blog for my year in the south of France.

The movie mirrors two women's lives, that of Julia Child, the famous American housewife who learned to cook while living in France, and that of a woman living in New York, who cooks to find joy in her life.

Though I have NO intention of cooking, I will soon be an American living in France.

I am leaving on Monday, August 17th...and couldn't be more excited! The picture above shows the region I will be living in... the city called Aix en Provence, nicknamed just "Aix" (pronounced like the letter X) will be my home for 9 long months.

Marseille is the largest city close to Aix, and it's the second largest city in France, falling short only to mighty Paris. The countdown to my departure stands at 5 short days.