I'm an AFS Blogger!

I submitted my blog to the AFS website, and they featured my blog on the dropdown list of France blogs! Also featured on this list at the top is the blog of my friend Aidan. You may remember Aidan from my post about the potluck dinner. Airam, the name under Aidan, is a girl from my area who is currently in France. She comes back to the United States on July 7th.

I believe that my blog being featured on the website will give me newfound determination to keep it updated as frequently as possible. I am not going to tie myself down with a schedule, but you can expect updates!


I have made my appointment for the French Consulat in Washington DC for my visa. Aidan made his appointment for the same day, but his appointment is two hours earlier. Being an exchange student usually consists of waiting, and it is quite a relief to know that I only have one vital piece of  documentation to receive- my Long-Stay Visa.

Last Day of American School

Yesterday was my last day of American high school before I leave for France. Even though I know it to be true, it's still hard to wrap my mind around the concept. It took me until third period to realize that I needed to tell some people goodbye that day. While other students sprinted out the doors the instant that the final bell, the indicator of the commencement of summer vacations, rang, I remained seated in a desk and looked around very apprehensively. My French teacher was the one who got me interested in language, and eventually, studying abroad, so it was difficult to have to say goodbye to someone that has helped me along my journey so much. After I arrived back in my house, I came to the realization that next time I step into a high school, I will be in France. It's quite an amazing thought.

Even though saying goodbye is always hard, I have to remember that no goodbye that I said today and before my departure to France is a permanent goodbye. I am only in France for ten months, and Middletown and the people in it will still be there when I return. Yes, time changes a lot, but it would be silly for me to change while abroad and still expect my hometown to be exactly how I left it.

It's very true that I will miss the attachments I have made here, but I will be back. Through traveling, one will not only learn more about another culture, but about one's own as well. I will try my hardest to use the thrill of adventure to my advantage, absorbing myself in the moment and using any negative energy to make positive experiences for myself.