Study Abroad Update
When we last talked I was homeless and Visa-less, now I have both a flat and a Visa!
It was quite a trial to find a flat. I had talked to a few other Mississippi Sate students who had studied at the same school in the past and saw what they did for housing. But all of these options were either booked or more expensive than we wanted to spend. I originally wanted to do a homestay, but I was unable to find a family that fit with me. French universities don't have dorms like American schools do, so university housing was out of the question. I found a facebook group of other students looking for roomates and places to live, but since I was only staying for the Fall term it was difficult to find someone who wanted to do a lease August- December. Someone directed me to the website appartager.com which is like the French version of craigslist or roommate match. I posted what type of living situation I wanted and started to search for flats that met my criteria. After a few days a landowner approached me with the PERFECT flat! It was furnished, close to the school, and no smoking is allowed in the building. I snagged that like it was hotcakes. I promise to post pictures once I get settled in.
If you have been to the French Consulate, you understand how scary my Visa process was. I had to get up before the sun was up (not really, just being dramatic) and drive to downtown Atlanta, in rush hour may I add. My parents had gone with me and I was hoping that they could at least sit with me while I waited... oh no, the man sitting at the receptionist desk shooed them away very quickly. I walked into the room to find a girl about my age and an Indian boy about high school aged arguing with the people handing out the Visas. I don't know about y'all but I wouldn't dare argue with someone who could make and break my future. But that's just me. I sat next to the girl. Her face was bright red and she was fighting back tears. She said, "I don't have some of the things they're asking for." To which I responded "oh crap". I quickly pulled out the check-list of documents my father and I had put together and double checked that I had everything. I did. I breathed a little easier.
The Indian boy at this point had stormed off and the "Visa gods" had called up the teary girl. I was trying to pray for her, pray for me, but also eavesdrop on her conversation. A boy that looked like Ben Affleck came in and sat next to me. Crying girl made it through, even though her French accent was horrendous. Ben Affleck was up next and he went up to the desk and started spilling out French as if he had never left the hexagonal country. He went through with no trouble.
It was finally my turn. I went up there and tried my hardest to remember my manners, French grammar and every document. After a few whispers amongst the "Visa gods", I was asked to sit for a picture and to scan my fingerprints. I had done it! I had gotten my French Visa!
I went into the lobby to find my parents and told them excitingly that "I'm going to France y'all!"
I recently have been struggling with a lot of different emotions surrounding my study abroad. I am so so excited to go, explore, learn, travel, discover, but what scares me and makes me nervous is everything happening state-side sans moi. Just as summer is winding down and people are starting to come back to Starkville, I am once again packing up and about to leave this sleepy town I've come to love. People are planning things to do this fall semester. Zeta is gearing up for recruitment. I'm struggling because I feel so isolated from everyone and everything. I know this isn't true, but I'm afraid that I'll be forgotten. I desperately want to stay connected with everyone in Mississippi and Georgia for that matter. I want to know what's going on, which band is playing at our favorite Dave's or Rick's, who asked who on a date, what gross thing the zeta house served as "dessert", what Brian preached about at RUF, what goofy thing Pastor Heard said during a sermon this Sunday. I want to get to know all the new members in Zeta, because they are the future of my beloved chapter.
The list could go on and on.
Please don't forget me Starkville. I could never forget you.
It was quite a trial to find a flat. I had talked to a few other Mississippi Sate students who had studied at the same school in the past and saw what they did for housing. But all of these options were either booked or more expensive than we wanted to spend. I originally wanted to do a homestay, but I was unable to find a family that fit with me. French universities don't have dorms like American schools do, so university housing was out of the question. I found a facebook group of other students looking for roomates and places to live, but since I was only staying for the Fall term it was difficult to find someone who wanted to do a lease August- December. Someone directed me to the website appartager.com which is like the French version of craigslist or roommate match. I posted what type of living situation I wanted and started to search for flats that met my criteria. After a few days a landowner approached me with the PERFECT flat! It was furnished, close to the school, and no smoking is allowed in the building. I snagged that like it was hotcakes. I promise to post pictures once I get settled in.
If you have been to the French Consulate, you understand how scary my Visa process was. I had to get up before the sun was up (not really, just being dramatic) and drive to downtown Atlanta, in rush hour may I add. My parents had gone with me and I was hoping that they could at least sit with me while I waited... oh no, the man sitting at the receptionist desk shooed them away very quickly. I walked into the room to find a girl about my age and an Indian boy about high school aged arguing with the people handing out the Visas. I don't know about y'all but I wouldn't dare argue with someone who could make and break my future. But that's just me. I sat next to the girl. Her face was bright red and she was fighting back tears. She said, "I don't have some of the things they're asking for." To which I responded "oh crap". I quickly pulled out the check-list of documents my father and I had put together and double checked that I had everything. I did. I breathed a little easier.
The Indian boy at this point had stormed off and the "Visa gods" had called up the teary girl. I was trying to pray for her, pray for me, but also eavesdrop on her conversation. A boy that looked like Ben Affleck came in and sat next to me. Crying girl made it through, even though her French accent was horrendous. Ben Affleck was up next and he went up to the desk and started spilling out French as if he had never left the hexagonal country. He went through with no trouble.
It was finally my turn. I went up there and tried my hardest to remember my manners, French grammar and every document. After a few whispers amongst the "Visa gods", I was asked to sit for a picture and to scan my fingerprints. I had done it! I had gotten my French Visa!
I went into the lobby to find my parents and told them excitingly that "I'm going to France y'all!"
I recently have been struggling with a lot of different emotions surrounding my study abroad. I am so so excited to go, explore, learn, travel, discover, but what scares me and makes me nervous is everything happening state-side sans moi. Just as summer is winding down and people are starting to come back to Starkville, I am once again packing up and about to leave this sleepy town I've come to love. People are planning things to do this fall semester. Zeta is gearing up for recruitment. I'm struggling because I feel so isolated from everyone and everything. I know this isn't true, but I'm afraid that I'll be forgotten. I desperately want to stay connected with everyone in Mississippi and Georgia for that matter. I want to know what's going on, which band is playing at our favorite Dave's or Rick's, who asked who on a date, what gross thing the zeta house served as "dessert", what Brian preached about at RUF, what goofy thing Pastor Heard said during a sermon this Sunday. I want to get to know all the new members in Zeta, because they are the future of my beloved chapter.
The list could go on and on.
Please don't forget me Starkville. I could never forget you.
#macyprobs
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