Bonjour tout la monde!
Yesterday we took the plane to Paris, which wasn't really as long as I was expecting. Unfortunately, I didn't get comfortable enough to sleep much, but I kept myself entertained by trying to read a French magazine I bought in the airport before we left and watching French music videos on the little TV thing in the seat.
When we got here, we met up with the AFS France people and they took us to eat at---MCDONALDS! haha. My first meal in France was a cheese burger, fries, and a coke! That was the only restaurant really in the airport, at least that i noticed, so I'm thinking that's why we went there.
After that, we went to the hostel (i think?) where we are staying until tomorrow. There are many other AFS students here from many, manyyyy other countries! I am rooming with someone from Argentina who only knows Spanish and French (so communication has been a little tricky), New Zeland, and Austria. I've also met people from South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Switzerland, Australia, Iceland, Paraguay, and Columbia. There are a little over 50 of us all together.
Today we took a bus tour of Paris. We drove past Montmontre, L'Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Musee D'Orsee, and many other places. Paris is absolutely gorgeous. The arcitecture of the buildings is stunning. I took quite a few pictures, but am unable to put them up because I'm on the computer at the hostel. I will try to do that as soon as I get a chance, though.
Tomorrow I've got to get up early, because my train leaves at 7h00! I will be taking that to Artois (i think?) where I will meet my host family. From there, they will drive me the rest of the way to my new home in Roclincourt. I'm really, really excited to finally meet them. All this orientation has been getting rather long. I am also quite nervous, though. As I've been listening to people talking in the lobby and on the streets, I've come to realize how limited my French really is. I am going to have a very difficult time understanding everyone for a while. If I can talk that well (and fast) by the end, I will be pretty proud of myself! That will definitely be a ways off, though. I'm also nervous that I won't be what my host family is expecting and that somehow I will disappoint them or something. I want to get as much out of this experience as possible, and am going to try really hard to make that happened, but it will take work on their side, too. I hope things go alright and work out well in the end!
Unfortunately my time has run out and I have to get off.
I'll write soon!
ByE!
Miranda
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
New York
Hello again! I flew into New York around 10:30 yesterday morning, and surprisingly made it to the hotel without getting lost! Ha ha! There are a lot of people here. Forty people are going to Italy; nineteen to France; two to Portugal, and two to Austria.
We started orientation at around 5PM last night and talked to a returnee who stayed in our host country. We also watched a few video diaries this morning of some different people who went on full-year trips. The main point that I got from that is that you get out of this experience what you put into it. I really, really am going to try and give this my all. I did not spend all this time and money and stress to sit there and wish I were at home with my friends and family. Although I know I will go through a phase where I get really homesick and tired of the immersion, I want to try and make that as short as possible. I'll do whatever I can to keep myself busy so I'm not thinking about home.
We had to check out of our hotel rooms at noon, so until the France people leave at 6:15 for the airport, I will be sitting in the conference room and/or the hotel lobby. Rosalie was nice enough to allow me to use her laptop so I could get on here and update this for you. I called my mom earlier, as well. Immediately after hearing her voice, I kind of realized that as a mistake. I really am going to avoid calling home and friends and anyone from my 'old life' for a while. It's not that I don't want to talk to you, it just makes it harder for me because I have to say goodbye again. Also, after I leave at 11:00 tonight, my cell phone will no longer work. I cannot send or receive texts, nor can I make calls, so please don't try to contact me that way. I am hoping to get a prepaid phone sometime after I arrive in Europe, although I don't know if I will be able to call or text to people in the United States, so that may not work out so well for y'all. This blog, snail mail, and my email are probably going to be the best ways to keep in contact with me.
Anyway, the next couple days will be spent at a hotel just outside of Paris. We will meet up with other people around the world who are going to host families in France. It will be kind of odd, as I'm sure most of them won't speak English and we are all at different levels of French. I'm not sure how the communication thing will work out, but I want to try and get to know some of them, so maybe I'll try using some of my French. After our orientation there, we get the opportunity to go on a bus tour of Paris, which personally, I'm really looking forward to. I'll be sure and take a lot of pictures and post them once I get to my host family.
I better get going, though, as I'm sure Rosalie is ready to get her laptop back (and I really want to check facebook yet!), so I will update again once I get to my host family's house, or whenever I have access to the Internet again. Leave me some comments or something :)
I miss you all!
A plus tard,
-Miranda
We started orientation at around 5PM last night and talked to a returnee who stayed in our host country. We also watched a few video diaries this morning of some different people who went on full-year trips. The main point that I got from that is that you get out of this experience what you put into it. I really, really am going to try and give this my all. I did not spend all this time and money and stress to sit there and wish I were at home with my friends and family. Although I know I will go through a phase where I get really homesick and tired of the immersion, I want to try and make that as short as possible. I'll do whatever I can to keep myself busy so I'm not thinking about home.
We had to check out of our hotel rooms at noon, so until the France people leave at 6:15 for the airport, I will be sitting in the conference room and/or the hotel lobby. Rosalie was nice enough to allow me to use her laptop so I could get on here and update this for you. I called my mom earlier, as well. Immediately after hearing her voice, I kind of realized that as a mistake. I really am going to avoid calling home and friends and anyone from my 'old life' for a while. It's not that I don't want to talk to you, it just makes it harder for me because I have to say goodbye again. Also, after I leave at 11:00 tonight, my cell phone will no longer work. I cannot send or receive texts, nor can I make calls, so please don't try to contact me that way. I am hoping to get a prepaid phone sometime after I arrive in Europe, although I don't know if I will be able to call or text to people in the United States, so that may not work out so well for y'all. This blog, snail mail, and my email are probably going to be the best ways to keep in contact with me.
Anyway, the next couple days will be spent at a hotel just outside of Paris. We will meet up with other people around the world who are going to host families in France. It will be kind of odd, as I'm sure most of them won't speak English and we are all at different levels of French. I'm not sure how the communication thing will work out, but I want to try and get to know some of them, so maybe I'll try using some of my French. After our orientation there, we get the opportunity to go on a bus tour of Paris, which personally, I'm really looking forward to. I'll be sure and take a lot of pictures and post them once I get to my host family.
I better get going, though, as I'm sure Rosalie is ready to get her laptop back (and I really want to check facebook yet!), so I will update again once I get to my host family's house, or whenever I have access to the Internet again. Leave me some comments or something :)
I miss you all!
A plus tard,
-Miranda
Monday, January 26, 2009
Two Days 'Til Departure.
Hey everyone. With only two days left before I leave, I've been very busy. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. There are so many things to do, and every time I think I'm getting close to finishing my list, I think of something else that needs to be added to it. I also can't decide whether I'm more nervous or excited. Half of me is really going to miss Fargo and South High and my friends & family, while the other half of me is looking forward to getting on the plane and heading into the unknown. I can't wait to meet everyone over there and soak in my new surroundings.
The only real worries I have are-
1)Getting really sick.
2)Being unable to communicate clearly and having other people frustrated with me.
3)Not having any friends when I return to Fargo because they've all moved on without me.
I really hope none of those pose too big of a problem for me while I'm abroad (or when I return). I expect it to be challenging and awkward at first, but I don't want that to last long. I plan to make every attempt possible and to talk about anything I can think of to keep myself from shutting up and being reticent. I know that by the end of my trip I won't want to go home, so I don't want to waste any time at the beginning, if I can help it. I'm just a little worried about getting there and forgetting all my French and how to conjugate things and forgetting tenses and everything important. I know that sounds stupid, but I really am afraid of that happening to some extent.
Well anyway, here is the itinerary: I fly out of Fargo Wednesday morning at around 5, then layover in Minneapolis for about an hour and get to New York around 10:30. Orientation doesn't start until 4, so after I drop my stuff off at the hotel, I think I'm going to go wander around the city a little. Hopefully I won't get lost! Ha ha! At 4PM that same day, everyone from the United States going to France has an orientation at the hotel. We're all going to get the chance to meet each other and discuss what lies ahead. Thursday morning, the group of us flies to Paris, France, where we meet up with all the AFSers from around the world on the same six month program. We have two more days of orientation and then finally, the day comes for all of us to go our seperate ways and meet our host families. I will be taking the TGV north to Arras, where my family will meet me. Then we will drive the rest of the way to Roclincourt. I emailed my host mom, and she told me that I will be going to the school on Monday, I think... I may be wrong and instead just getting a tour on Monday and starting class on Tuesday. We'll have to wait and see, I suppose.
I can't think of much else to say, except for the fact that I will miss every single one of you verrrry much. Do me a favor and stay safe and healthy while I'm gone so I don't have to worry about you:P I'll promise to try and do the same in return. If you'd like my address or phone number, or if you just want to send me an email, you can do so by sending a message to MissMirandaMari3@hotmail.com. I can't garuntee you'll get an instant reply, but I do promise to answer back as soon as I have a chance.
Au Revoir, tout la monde,
Je vous manquerai!
-Miranda
The only real worries I have are-
1)Getting really sick.
2)Being unable to communicate clearly and having other people frustrated with me.
3)Not having any friends when I return to Fargo because they've all moved on without me.
I really hope none of those pose too big of a problem for me while I'm abroad (or when I return). I expect it to be challenging and awkward at first, but I don't want that to last long. I plan to make every attempt possible and to talk about anything I can think of to keep myself from shutting up and being reticent. I know that by the end of my trip I won't want to go home, so I don't want to waste any time at the beginning, if I can help it. I'm just a little worried about getting there and forgetting all my French and how to conjugate things and forgetting tenses and everything important. I know that sounds stupid, but I really am afraid of that happening to some extent.
Well anyway, here is the itinerary: I fly out of Fargo Wednesday morning at around 5, then layover in Minneapolis for about an hour and get to New York around 10:30. Orientation doesn't start until 4, so after I drop my stuff off at the hotel, I think I'm going to go wander around the city a little. Hopefully I won't get lost! Ha ha! At 4PM that same day, everyone from the United States going to France has an orientation at the hotel. We're all going to get the chance to meet each other and discuss what lies ahead. Thursday morning, the group of us flies to Paris, France, where we meet up with all the AFSers from around the world on the same six month program. We have two more days of orientation and then finally, the day comes for all of us to go our seperate ways and meet our host families. I will be taking the TGV north to Arras, where my family will meet me. Then we will drive the rest of the way to Roclincourt. I emailed my host mom, and she told me that I will be going to the school on Monday, I think... I may be wrong and instead just getting a tour on Monday and starting class on Tuesday. We'll have to wait and see, I suppose.
I can't think of much else to say, except for the fact that I will miss every single one of you verrrry much. Do me a favor and stay safe and healthy while I'm gone so I don't have to worry about you:P I'll promise to try and do the same in return. If you'd like my address or phone number, or if you just want to send me an email, you can do so by sending a message to MissMirandaMari3@hotmail.com. I can't garuntee you'll get an instant reply, but I do promise to answer back as soon as I have a chance.
Au Revoir, tout la monde,
Je vous manquerai!
-Miranda
The rewards of the journey far outweigh the risk of leaving the harbor. -Unknown
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Introduction
Hey everyone! First off, The name's Miranda and I'm 17 years old, which makes me a Junior in high school. At the end of January here, in 2009, I will be leaving my home here in Fargo, ND (USA) for Roclincourt, France where I will be spending the next 6 months. Roclincourt is a small town of less than 800 people. It's located in the Pas-de-Calais region, which is in the northern part of France. I will be going to school in a neighboring town by the name of Arras. While in France, I will be living with a host family. My mother is the mayor of Roclincourt and my brother is 20 years old and has downs syndrom. I don't know much else about my family yet, but I am very excited to meet them.
I have been getting more excited each day as the date of departure gets closer. I can't wait to get to France and meet my family, see the town, and go to school at a French "lycee" (high school). I'm really excited to meet people my age and take classes there. I've been taking French at school since eighth grade, so that should help me with the comprehension at least some of my lessons. This immersion in the French culture should help me improve my French, as well. I really want to be able to speak it fluently, so I'm going to try really hard to pick up as much as possible. I might even feel confident enough to write a few entries in French after a while. :)
As eager as I am to go and experience all of these things, I am also feeling a little uneasy about leaving my family, friends, and everything familiar behind. I'm going into a whole new culture with completely different ways of living. That is going be be overwhelming at first. New foods, new people, new family, new ways of communicating, new school, new town, new house, new everything! It will be challenging at first to get used to all of these new things, but I'm up for it! :) I like challenging situations, because after I work hard and pull through them, I feel like a much stronger and more accomplished person. This experience will probably be one of the most challenging and rewarding things I've ever participated in, and I will probably return home in July a completely different, more grown up person.
I plan to update this blog at least one more time before I leave, and then as much as possible during my trip. I'm hoping for that to be a minimum of once a week, so if you're interested, I welcome you to check back occasionally for updates. The purpose of this blog is to allow readers to follow me as I encounter different situations, both good and bad. I'll share as much as possible with you. Please feel free to leave some comments, too. It'd be great to hear from all of you who are reading this. :)
A bientot!
-Miranda
P.S. If you're interested in going abroad like I am, you can visit the AFS homepage to get started.
I have been getting more excited each day as the date of departure gets closer. I can't wait to get to France and meet my family, see the town, and go to school at a French "lycee" (high school). I'm really excited to meet people my age and take classes there. I've been taking French at school since eighth grade, so that should help me with the comprehension at least some of my lessons. This immersion in the French culture should help me improve my French, as well. I really want to be able to speak it fluently, so I'm going to try really hard to pick up as much as possible. I might even feel confident enough to write a few entries in French after a while. :)
As eager as I am to go and experience all of these things, I am also feeling a little uneasy about leaving my family, friends, and everything familiar behind. I'm going into a whole new culture with completely different ways of living. That is going be be overwhelming at first. New foods, new people, new family, new ways of communicating, new school, new town, new house, new everything! It will be challenging at first to get used to all of these new things, but I'm up for it! :) I like challenging situations, because after I work hard and pull through them, I feel like a much stronger and more accomplished person. This experience will probably be one of the most challenging and rewarding things I've ever participated in, and I will probably return home in July a completely different, more grown up person.
I plan to update this blog at least one more time before I leave, and then as much as possible during my trip. I'm hoping for that to be a minimum of once a week, so if you're interested, I welcome you to check back occasionally for updates. The purpose of this blog is to allow readers to follow me as I encounter different situations, both good and bad. I'll share as much as possible with you. Please feel free to leave some comments, too. It'd be great to hear from all of you who are reading this. :)
A bientot!
-Miranda
P.S. If you're interested in going abroad like I am, you can visit the AFS homepage to get started.
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