And So It Begins...

Finally, this feeling I've been waiting for.

Not excited about, but expecting.

Stress.

That anxiety that starts to creep in when you realize that school is, unfortunately, about doing your work and making good grades.

I'd say I hit this realization every semester, usually around midterms when I realize that I've got only two months left to pull up my Bs to As.

But this time, I find myself being in the strange position of just now beginning classes.

Ok, yes I've technically been in one class since I got here, and we've had five tests and lots of mini essays for it. But when the class is broken up by so much traveling, its really hard to consider it class.

And this week, we had our first two days of my contemporary French civilization course. I think its going to be a really great class. We have to do a mini independant research project, and I'm going to research the French educational programs for children with special needs. Its a topic very close to my heart and I cannot wait to learn more about the systems here and, if everything works out like I hope it will, interact with children with special needs here in France. How amazingly awesome that would be.

Even though I am excited for that class, and ready to start the rest of my classes on Monday, I am already stressed. I see the next two months kind of tunneling out before me.

As in, I see all the things I have to do, both with school work and organizing trips (FLORENCE NEXT WEEKEND WOOOOOO!!!), and I am realizing how quickly my time is passing.

Two months seems like a long time, but as soon as all the stresses and frustrations that inevitably are on their way (and they'll be stresses and frustrations in a different language...even better!), I know I am going to be swept into such a whirlwind.

I'm hoping I'll be able to keep my feet on the ground through it all, but it'll be hard not having the same retreats here that I have back home. For example, when I get stressed at Wake, I crawl into bed and turn on the TV or turn on a movie or go get a veggie sub from Subway even if its 1:00am. I'm also accustomed to having 8 other girls living within 10 feet of me who I know will be there to listen to me vent for 10 minutes and even pray with me for 10 minutes.

And of course, the option of going home for a weekend so that I can study or write papers or just relax somewhere that's not school is a luxury I don't have here. Studying at home right before exams was always a good way for me to get work done.

But this semester, its a whole new ball game.

I guess I'll just have to dig my toes in the dirt and wind up, because the pitcher's playing fastball.