In A Different Airport

Hey, I lived.

I'm hanging out, waiting for my people to retrieve me. When people told me everyone speaks English in the airport, they really weren't joking. I'm in the main area, not a part where only my flight fed into. While "everyone" might be an overstatement, I'd say the vast majority of people around me are speaking English. Interesting.

In The Seat Of The Plane

** Disclaimer: No, I did not use cellular data to post this while in the air and risk the lives of everyone on my plane. Don't worry. **

Hey! I'm on the plane to France and it has been très intéressant thus far. For starters, the plane is arranged in columns of three, and I somehow managed to win the seating jackpot (figuratively). I have a window seat with an empty seat beside me. "Elizabeth Amanda, go on and get yourself to sleep then!" you may be thinking. 

Well, no. You see, there is a dinner service of sorts making rounds and irritating the living day lights of us all. Therefore, sleeping is less than opportune in my current circumstances. But, fear not, I stole the extra pillow from the seat beside me and have big plans for sleep.... eventually.

What I didn't realize we'd have on the flight are announcements in multiple languages. What I mean by this is that for every English instructional, there is an equivalent French instructional. Super cool and interesting, but also super redundant and time consuming because there are double the announcements. Ya win some, ya loose some.

Also, this flight is 7 hours long. I was sure it was 6! But hey, hour we to know? 😉

(This map of mediocre quality is the image on my screen, currently.)

PS (Shoutout to Tracy, if you're reading this.) The food was super. I mean that. I'd willingly eat my airplane meal at home or at school. Well done, United. Well done.

In The Airport

In case I get progressively worse at remember to post as I imagine I will, I figure I'll start out strong with my second post in... an hour. Hello, again! I'm in the airport and I'm already having fun. I'd go as far as to say that this is a fun airport, but I'm probably just easily amused. So many people and a pertinent, communal sense of impatience. Love it.

Anyway, more on where I'm about to stay:

At some point during my junior year, during a night on which I'm sure I was procrastination some sort of homework (most likely French), I decided I needed a pen pal. I wanted to better my French and make new friends but, most of all, I wanted a "productive" way to procrastinate. Thus, my pen pal journey began. 

I found a website for online pen pals (studentsoftheworld.com I believe). I messaged nearly every French speaking human on that site and after weeks of awkward small talk with strangers, a handful of champion pen pals remained in contact with me. One of these beautiful souls was a 16 year old named Sarah. Sarah lives in a home between Versailles and Paris, two of France's most iconic cities. She is a lovely girl in the same grade in school as me.

Meanwhile, knowing I would be coming to a program in Toulouse for the month of July, my mother and I started looking (somewhat desperately) for ways that I could stay in France longer. More than that, we started looking for ways I could see 🌟🌟🌟Paris🌟🌟🌟.

I messaged Sarah to ask if she knew anyone near Paris I could stay with and, low and behold, SHE was someone I could stay with. She is so sweet and smart- I am so excited!! 

I have no doubt that we'll do handfuls of brilliant and touristy things. I'll be sure to tell you all about them! The 9 days with her family start in 6 hours. Can't wait to be deeply confused in a foreign language. 

Yippeeee!

(There's my flight, at the very bottom.)

In The Car

Hello. As I write my very first blog post, I'd like to begin by pointing out how easy it is to start a blog. I googled "blog" and here we are.

That being said, my name is Elizabeth and I'm writing this blog to display some hilights of the trip I'm going on this summer. I am a 17 year old and just finished my junior year of high school in America.

I am currently in the car on the way to the airport for my 6 hour flight tonight, at 10:00.

"Where are you going?" you may ask. Well, since you asked:

Tomorrow (Independence Day) - 10 July 

--Staying in between Versailles, France and Paris, France with my lovely pen pal named Sarah and her family

10 July - 8 August 

--Staying in Toulouse, France with a French Language Learninng and Culture program through CIEE at the beautiful house of a family I only received the name of yesterday with other American student

8 August - 22 August 

--Staying in Cahors, France with a fantastic family we found through a homestay-finding website at their vacation home

22 August - 27 August

--Staying in Lille, France with the same fantastic family we found through a homestay-finding website at their actual home

27 August - 28 August

--Staying in London, England with my mother's childhood friend/our family friend Louisa at a hotel

28 August - 3 September

--Staying in Some Obscure Location, England with my mother's childhood friend/our family friend Louisa, her daughter Claire, and her husband at their home

--------

3 September - 7 September

--Staying... at my own house for the end of summer 😁

8 September - 15 June

--Senior Year

16 June - Forever

--Join the circus?

Okay, so that is the scheduel for the remainder of my trip. And life. If you'd like a post card, please send me your address!

9 weeks, 6 houses, 2 countries, 1 suitcase, 1 backpack, 1 summer.

Wish me luck!