end of the week

So, having made it through one of the longest, busiest weeks of my summer, I've found some time for reflection.

Laura and I packed up the car and drove to Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon. It wasn't too bad of a drive, but definitely longer than I've driven in a long time. And, I also discovered that truckers that drive through South Carolina seem to be particularly nice. How do I know? I was passing one at about 80 miles an hour and he honked at me (which, to be honest, at first I thought was rude) in order to draw my attention to the cop with his lights on at the top of the hill I was approaching.

Needless to say, I slowed down, restarted my heart, thanked God that I wasn't given a ticket, and did not speed nearly as much for the rest of the drive.

Mrs. Lanier had an amazing dinner waiting for us, and we spent several hours talking about Europe and vocations and life. I am so glad I was able to spend more time with Kasey's mom!

The next morning, Laura and I braved morning Atlanta traffic and headed to the French consulate. We got there before the consulate even opened. Once it did, however, the very polite (cough sarcasm cough) security guard promptly informed my sister she could not accompany me inside. He then proceeded to look through my papers, marked a few things, and sent me into the smelliest, smallest waiting room. I waited for a good thirty minutes with several other young adults who looked nearly as terrfied and nervous as I must have looked. After the guard thoroughly terrified all of us by fussing at a boy who'd accidentally made two appointments, the process began.

And by process, I mean walking to a window, handing in your stack of carefully organized papers through a tiny slot in a window, then paying, then leaving. Maybe I just had completely naive expecations, but after allllll the trouble it took to get all the paperwork completed, and the longggg drive to Atlanta, it was a little bit anticlimactic to simply hand in the papers and pay. Anticlimactic and also begging the question, why couldn't I just mail them in?

Oh well. Its done, I know the papers safely arrived, and its out of my hands!

After we left the consulate, Laura and I walked around a fancy mall and then hit the road. The drive back was harder just because we were both tired, but we made some sweet music videos and got ChikFila, which ALWAYS makes me feel better.

Work the next day was really rough just because I was super worn out. Friday wasn't too bad, but I am definitely glad to have a weekend!

Visaaaaaahhhhhh

After a wild weekend (thank you Nick and Celia for going 80's with me), today has been all business. I'm in the process of getting my visa and, frankly, its a slightly annoying process. There are so many things to get in order and if I get to the consulate on Wednesday morning and one little thing is wrong, I'm out of luck and get to do the entire thing all over again. Or at least, that's what the confusing consulate website threatens.

As far as I know, I have everything I need. I've double checked and triple checked all my documents, used about 23543 cartridges of ink making copies, and paid $8.52 for 6 passport sized photos ( I only needed 2) that I honestly, probably, could have taken myself.

I'm leaving Tuesday after work and heading down to Atlanta, which is where my French consulate is. Laura, my big sister, is graciously coming with me to keep me company and make sure I'm safe in HOTlanta. I'm excited to be staying at a friend's house! Kasey will sadly be at summer school, but her parents are FANTASTIC and are opening their house to Laura and me so we don't have to stay in a hotel. I am so excited to spend more time with them, although I am so sad that I won't be able to see Kasey! She's outstanding, and I miss her!

So (hopefully) on Wednesday, I will be one step closer to being completely ready for France!

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer." Romans 12:12

Beginning of Blogging

As I scramble to get things ready for my not-so-distant departure for lands across the ocean, I decided to go ahead and begin my blog. I began one earlier, but decided to just start again because I didn't the the title of the last one. Yes, I'm that picky.

As August 21 comes closer and closer, I really can't wrap my brain around the fact that I am going to be living in a different country this fall. I am, in many areas of my life, rather stuck in my ways...one of those ways being the fact that I am still very attached to my home, my high school group of friends, and of course my life at Wake. New things don't come easily for me. I also have intense F.O.M.O. (Fear Of Missing Out) on things while I'm in France. Which, when I really think about it, is ridiculous because I am going to be in France and missing out on that would be unbelievably worse. However, I'm still scared.

Needless to say, studying abroad will give me the opportunity to branch out, gain confidence and independence, and learn more about myself. I'll be living to something...all that needs to be discovered is what that something is. I know that where I go, I go with God; His presence will, in time, still my fears and uncertainties about the coming months.

"...but the life he lives, he lives to God." Romans 6: 10b