Day...um Four?? I think..

 So last night I went with my host family to eat eat with my host mother's parents, it was fun. We ate for literally three hours and talked and watched the fireworks. And the terrace overlooked the marina..it was tres belle!(: Then the adults talked for like three hours, then we finally left at like 1am and I skyped my mom and brother because I couldn't sleep...as usual.): I feel like I never sleep..and then I sleep until like 2 in the afternoon and I'm tired ALL day. My host family thinks I sleep all the time haha, but I think it's just jet lag, still. Hopefully it will get better soon. I'm sure it will. lol
 But today Sebastian took Jarod, Zach, and I to the beach. It was pretty fun, we flew the kite and swam in the Mediterranean a little bit. It is sooo pretty there!! (Pictures are on Facebook!) But yeah I love France. Oh tonight best night so far...I ate two cheeseburgers, made my Zach's host mother. And I had a cherry coke. Jarod ate with us, and he looked at me funny because I usually try everything, but I don't eat alot because I'm not that hungry. I think they think I'm anorexic...but I don't know.
 Yesterday we went to the beach too but not with Zach. And Jarod was teaching me french while we swam and I taught him english. His dad's favorite phrase now is "stupid boy Jarod" haha. I love my host family, they are awesome!! I can't wait to see what we'll do tomorrow because my host mother, Virginie, finally doesn't work! Maybe we can go shopping.(: but for now au revoir!

Day Two.(:

 So today has been interesting. This morning I woke and Jarod make me breakfast...a HUGE bowl/cup thingy of chocolate milk, and some break with nutella. Oh my gosh was it not a good idea to try the that much milk...the milk here is richer and I am not used to it. My stomach hurt so bad I went to my room and took some pepto and went to sleep from 9am to 2 pm.
 When I woke up I saw Sebastian and Jarod on the couch so I sat down and we all watched tv. Later Seabstian called Jarod and asked if we wanted to go to the supermarket with him and so we did. I don't know why people in America think that in France people go to the little street markets. They don't, they have HUGE super markets..literally it's like Super Walmart on stereiods...it's crazy!! Oh so funny story, I was walking in to the super market and a man walks out wear almost the exact same shorts as me...I was wearing very short Nike shorts. haha I am definitely in Europe. Oh and most men wear purses..even teenagers.
 So for dinner tonight I think we ate canalope, pasta, and possibly chicken..if chickens buck in France. It was pretty good. I've tried everything but the stinky cheese Sebastian eats EVERY night, ewww Virginie doesn't like it either, so I figured it was okay to not try it. I don't want to kill my stomach. lol I showed them pictures from Alabama and they saw the football ones and they were like oh my gosh!!! They are so aggressive. It was funny.
 Also I think they're taking me to the beach....cause they keep talking about it but um yeah I'm not quite sure, but let's hope they do. And take me out on their boat. My host family is soooo nice!!(: My host mother is letting me borrow her straightner and she's getting her neighbor to help me with my french. Thank goodness because this whole not talking thing....KILLING ME!!! haha but I still love France and I am sooo happy I am here thanks to Daphne-Spanish Fort Rotary Club(: Merci beaucoup!!!
  It is so weird, I'm like half thinking in french and when I type, I'm almost trying to translate it in my head. But anyways it is 12:00am so I should probably get some sleep so I can learn more french so I can talk!!(: Bonne nuit America.

Finally here!(:

 So I arrived in Paris yesterday at 6AM Paris time, 12AM Alabama time. And I got to spend a lovely six hours in the airport with all of the other amazing exchange students going to different parts of France. We people watched and talked and exchanged business cards so we could keep in touch with each other. And oh my gosh even the food at the airport was AMAZING. I realize that I'm in France, but I didn't expect to find all of the food. They had quiches, croissants, pastries, and many many other French delights. I myself had a croissant au chocolat, it was more flaky and delicious than I could have ever imagined it would be and it was worth the three euros I paid for it.
 On the seven hour flight to Paris I was lucky enough to sit next to a Parisian who spoke English well and was willing to help me with my words quite a few times. I felt pretty comfortable about my French until  I met Robin, a 16 year old french boy who was flying home from Miami. He spoke very little English and apparently I speak less French than I thought I did. lol
 So meeting the Rotarians at the airport....Interesting. lol I could not understand them no matter how many times they said it. And then my host father...neither he nor my brother Gerrod speak much English. They laughed at me like constantly, I just smiled and preteneded I knew what they were talking about.
  France is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I love everything about it, even though I hardly speak the laugage....for now. it is only my first day....and I haven't slept in like two days. sooo yeahh. But I found out some facts:
1) French people are NOT typically rude!!
2) French women DO shave!
3) The cars AREN'T tiny.
4) Showers in France gonna take some getting used to.
5) The toilettes are in their own little rooms.
 But tonight for Dinner I have no idea what I ate, but it was GOOOD....and I think part of it was raw ham.....maybe that's what jambon rouge means...but I don't know. And honestly I don't even care lol.
Also Apparently I'm halirious because my host family can't stop laughing at me..

One Day.

I have one day left, well less than a day. And all day I've been packing, saying see you later to my friends, and stressing. It's been hard to think that I'm leaving America...for this long. But I am sooooo excited, and ready. I can't wait to meet my host family and learn french and meet new people. Later America.(:

One Week.

So I have one week til I leave for France. That means one week to pack, one week in America, one week left with my friends and family. I know I sound sad, but I'm super excited. I can not wait to start this adventure. So ready or not France, here I come.
I'm so excited to go to school and learn french. I can't believe that it's almost time to leave. I feel like just yesterday I was at school just finding out that I was going, and I thought I was excited then...haha. I just hope I'm ready, I still am not anywhere near finished packing but I have time. All in all the excitement over powers everything else.

One Month

So I have one month until I leave for my exchange. It's coming up so fast, I'm so excited but I'm kind of having my "oh my gosh I am a crazy person, what the heck was I thinking???" moment. There's no doubt in my mind that by the end of next month I'll be trying to make it through the first few weeks of my exchange. but still I feel like this is all happening so fast and it's becoming very real.

This past week I went to Atlanta to get my visa. And as I'm sitting there waiting to go to the counter so I can apply for my visa, it hits me...I'm going to France, for ELEVEN MONTHS. Not for two week or a month, no I'm there for a year. It really hadn't hit me until right then and there, which was incredibly scary. But I'm super excited and I can not wait to meet my host family and start learning the language and making new friends. Although I'll miss the ones back home, I still feel I'm making the right choice for me. Well here goes nothing.....

Outbound Camp

Oh Outbound camp was amazing!! I flew into Oklahoma City by myself where I met Davis Richardson and Jamie Nikkel. When I first got to the baggage claim area I was looking around, wondering who was supposed to be picking me up and what I was supposed to do. I saw some lady wave at me and I thought hmm is she waving at me? What's going on..? Then the man that I had sat next to on my flight from Atlanta said, "I think you're supposed to be going with her". So I walked over and said hello, at first Davis and I didn't talk then once I got my bag the conversation was going nonstop. All the way from the airport to Subway and from Subway to UCO. I am so glad he was the first person I met. After we registered everyone hung out in the lobby and then we all went to the Pegasus theatre and got introduced to the camp and stuff like that. Everyone was talking to their roommates at dinner and I was thinking "....do I even have a roommate? Oh let's hope so." And finally I figured out I did and her name was Alycia. We definitely bonded in our freezing cold dorm room. Camp flew by although the lectures seemed to drag on and on. I learned so much, and not to mention I had a blast. I can not wait to go on my exchange to Draguignan France. I'm a little nervous, but I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be thanks to the Rotarians and Rotex at Outbound camp.