Sarah Palin

Twice this week I have been told I resemble Sarah Palin! How strange and even stranger since she is now out of the spotlight... Anywho

Life here in France is going well. I got my birthday cards from my parents today! One of them included a birthday to-do list (very subtle mom) but nonetheless it was wise "Be true to yourself and to what you want out of life. Broken hearts heal, but broken dreams don't" And I realize what a dream come true coming here has been. Though no broken hearts have resulted from it, it is wonderful getting to achieve a dream. And now I get to start dreaming of something else, working to achieve something else. It is an increcible feeling living what you've wanted and knowning that there is still more to come.

I don't think I have sat down and really realized how lucky I am. I am not even 20 years old and I am spending a semester in Paris. Some people will wait their whole lives before even seeing another country, and I get to spend 4 months in one. While I realize how incredibly blessed I am to have family and friends and a boyfriend that supprot me, I also realize how attainable other dreams and hopes are with a little hard work and lots of love from family!

I am heading off to the north of France this weekend to visit another friend from Doane. The Doane reunions have been very nice! I'm excited to see another part of France though and I am still amazed that it will only take me a couple hours to go from the center to the north...what a small country!! I really do like it though. A lot of the girls going back at semester are starting to feel ready for it and I agree. Maybe after I get past Thanksgiving and my birthday I'll change my mind. Life just seems so much more like life now, though still a little exciting, it feels so much more normal! I am going to see the Lion King musical (in French) in December! I am pretty excited it looks like a blast!

New things I have learned:

There is a lot of time in the day when you don't watch tv
There is even more time when you don't spend it online
I like Accounting more than French
Studying one subject all the time gets very, very boring
In the markets, some meat (like birds) are sold with their heads still on!
I really like it here though!

I love and miss everyone so much and I can't wait for my family to come out!!