'merica, I won't miss you

Land of the free, home of the brave, God bless the USA! 

Really though, there is a reason I decided to leave the country for a year.* I love this nation that I am a part of but sometimes, she can really got on my nerves. Reflecting on my pet peeves of the red, white, and blue makes France look better and better each day - here's a list of things I WON'T miss during my year away from the States.

1. Walmart. Besides finding things for ridiculously low prices, this place purely just screams consumerism to me. I am glad to be rid of the temptation of going here for a year.

Look at that maniacal face. Sucks the soul out of you every time.

2. McDonalds. And Burger King. And really just all fast food. Having fresh produce and bread available every day is going to be amazing!

A typical golden arches meal (especially after Interplay rehearsal)

3. Snow. Except for that one-honeymoon-period-occurance of snow that can only happen on christmas eve, I will be happy to be rid of that white, fluffy, wet stuff for a year.

Good riddance.

4. Reality TV. With the obvious exception of the Bachelor, which I will be watching on Project Free TV for sure.

Yeah, not missing much here.

I will accept my rose overseas, Juan Pablo!

5. Paying (or caring about) the ever-changing gas prices. Although I love driving, it is going to be nice to not think about gas and "How many cents did it go up?" each day. Yay for awesome public transportation!**

My thought when passing by gas stations everyday.

Ok so there aren't that many annoyances on this list. I think I forgot a lot of them, probably blocked them out of my mind as they are happening. Really, I am going to miss very many things being away from home (stay tuned for another post).

'merica and all your nuisances, goodbye for now!

*Besides the fact that I am an insufferable francophile.

**And walking. Lots of walking

Done and (not yet) Done

It's been awhile. With teaching band camps and enjoying as much 'merica as I can this summer, I have neglected this little memento in the process. Even with all this going on, progress towards the big move is being made, though I still have so much to do. The anxiety is starting to set in, and gravity of how many things I have to get done is a tad overwhelming.

So to show what I have done (read: to make myself feel better), I am going to make a list of the things I have done in preparation for ma vie francaise.

1. Made a trip to the French Consulate in Chicago and got my long stay visa.

2. Booked my flight to Paris. I officially leave the states Sept. 17

3. Got a copy of my birth certificate, got an apostille for it, got a professional translation done AND got it certified by the consulate. *phew*

4. Made travel plans to see my brother and sister-in-law in Switzerland in Sept, and made tentative plans for Marissa and my european adventure after my contract is done in April (including Paris, Croatia, and a whole lot of Spain) and tentative plans to see a concert in Paris with Katie in November. (PS: I am SO excited for all of these trips!!)

5. Contacted my school about my arrival date and hopefully that I will be able to get into my apartment that day. I am so fortunate to have an apartment already waiting for me, just hoping I can get in it right away!

6. Got a new debit card (since mine was going to expire in December) and let my bank and credit companies know about my foreign travel.

7. Made contact with my future roommate. So happy to have someone to live with during my year in France!

And many others that I can't seem to remember right now. I should feel good about that list.... however, the to-do list is almost twice as long and includes:

1. Buy train ticket from Paris to Avignon on day of arrival.

2. Figure out what to do with cell service/phone during trip abroad.

3. Buy camera, iPod, maybe new luggage, and anything big I will need for my stay.

4. Update computer/backup everything.

5. Find out if there is a way to make all of the copies I need to make for the French government. They will only accept copies in a specific format of paper, called A4. As far as I know, this size of paper does not exist in the States, but I still have to do my research.

6. Eye appt, doctor appt, hair appt, etc. You know, since I will be out of the country all year, need to have every appt imaginable before going.

7. Shop for any other international needs I may have.

8. Spend as much time as I can with friends and family, I am going to miss them so much!

9. PACK. And figure out exactly what to pack......

10. Reread every piece of documentation I have so I feel prepared for this incredibly huge life change and will not freak out completely and entirely on Sept. 17.

Due to my forgetful nature, I'm sure that's not everything but that's all I can think of right now. So clearly my stress level has reached a boiling point. I am very excited to go spend a year in a foreign country, soaking up every bit of francais that I can, but the planning and preparation piece is quite time consuming. It will be all worth it when I get to walk down the narrow lanes of Apt, full of sunshine and the fresh smell of baguettes nearby. Counting down the days to La France: 23. Let's hope I get everything done before then.