Life in Lyon!!

Well readers, I DID IT! :D After a week, I checked the tracker and BOOM! My visa was scheduled for delivery the next day! I woke up and pretty much paced like a nervous dog, and when the mail truck came, I ran out and waited at the box with a huge smile! I brought the package inside, opened it up, and inside was my Visa (this was saturday by the way)!! I looked at it for a good 10 minutes, did the whole Facebook post thing, and then looked at it some more. It's wonderful to know that all this work has finally paid off. The waiting, and the stressing can now cease for a while while I wait for my itinerary. :)

Today is also a really special day. Today marks the ONE MONTH mark until my exchange! Honestly, the only way to describe how I feel right now is this:

:D: :):

Bipolar.

Also, since today is the one month mark, I am now posting on Facebook the link to my blog. So, welcome Facebook friends! This is going to be a big way of staying updated and hopefully some of the previous posts will answer any questions. If you have any along the way or now, feel free to comment and ask!

Au Revoir

Andrew

Waking-Up

So readers, this weekend I had my outbound orientation for my district! :D When I first got here I wasn't too sure if I was going to click with any new people, BUT, I did and they are AMAZING! I made a lot of new friends and wish we could have had more time together than just one weekend :/ This weekend we learned all about our country, what we need to do when we get there, a little beforehand, had a "talent show" in which we were taught we were going to have to get used to being center stage and being out there is important, and about a thing called a Blackout which is a one-three month period of very limited communication with your home country and family as well as Facebook, Twitter, and all other types of social media, including blogging, so, once I am in France I will be gone for a little while and with any luck (if I remember) will be back up and on here in no time, but for now, here I am. We also learned a LOT about different cultures and how to kind of watch what they do and how to integrate successfully with the native people. I also met a Rebound from France who is AWESOME! She stayed in my district and told me a lot about what goes on there. Honestly, this weekend was a non-stop wake-up call and I honestly, am for the first time nervous about what's going to happen. I'm a little nervous about school, how fast I will pick up the language, and making friends that will last. Our speaker the first night told us that just like a movie has 3 acts, so does our exchange, and I am only in Act 1 (which ends once we board the first plane) and I have NO intentions of backing out. It's weird to finally realize I'll be away, speaking a different yet familiar language everyday, starting over. A new page in my life book. So, I will keep writing my acts and WILL complete all 3! Anyone people, that's enough for this one.

Au Revoir

Andrew

Could it Be Life in Lyon?

Well my wonderful readers, today, I went to the Consulate! After a long train ride in to the city, a good Starbucks drink, and finally meeting my friends from Ohio, we went in. I was honestly kind of surprised at the amount of kids that were there. I thought there would've been more for some reason. Eh, oh well. I also was the only guy from my entire district, but, I don't care (woo!). I also got to meet my travel agent! She's a WONDERFUL lady and works VERY hard! She is making this exchange go very smoothly and is always calm, BUT, now we all wait for about a week and a half or less to get what I named "the Easter Egg". When we open the package it will either be a regular passport, or, a glorious visaed passport. Let's hope for the second one/the Easter Egg contains good stuffing. Coommee oonnnn legal status!

Au Revoir

P.S. While we were on the street my dad found a lady who only spoke French. He looked at the three of us and went 'she only speaks French'. Needless to say.....it was a train wreck...goodness...yeah, I'm in trouble...EEK

Almost there

Oh, hello blog world, I didn't see you there :) SO, update! I am OFFICIALLY enrolled in my French lycée (look! I figured out my french keyboard!) and am going to be in première s  (gulp). I've heard it's the hardest one to do, but, if I'm going to be a Cardiologist, I'm going to need to suck it up, fast, besides, sciences have always been my stronger areas :) My WONDERFUL host mother has been so awesome this whole time and has gotten everything down to make my year go well :) With any luck I'll be taking Italian also (one of my wanted minors in college!) :D My travel agent has also been so AWESOME! Those RYE people who get Emily Voorn as a travel agent, be prepared for promptness and always make sure you have your stuff on time. She has a LOT to do, but does it all so well :)

I go for my visa in NINE days! NINE! Where has the time gone!? I started working on my whole exchange progress in late December of 2011 and now I'm here. Nine days from my visa appointment, and 51 days from leaving for France. Just, wow. World, I had my first breakdown on Saturday. I had to say goodbye to my extended family until my going away party, and even though it wasn't my last time seeing them (hopefully), it just kind of put in to perspective, it's almost time to go. YEEK!

Honestly, I don't know what I would do without all my friends, family, and of course God. They have all helped me out so much along the way so far and I know they will continue to support me when I am all frenchified. I think I'll share some of my goals of my exchange:

1.) Gain an accent. My eldest sister and I have this weird gift where we can pick up accents easily, so, I'm hoping to get a French one
2.) Struggle with English upon return
3.) Take stereotypical tourist photos
4.) Eat lots of bread!
5.) Try and not gain the exchange student weight
6.) Become fluent
7.) Learn to be self sufficient
8.) Mature even more within myself and Christ

This exchange is my child. I created it, and I've worked on it watching it grow from a dream, to reality. Every email, friend request, payment, or trip slaps me and says 'I'M REAL WAKE-UP!' but it still hasn't hit. I was told that it will when on the plane, and I'm sure it will. $100 says I wake up on my first day and flip out because I won't know where I am and why the heck can't I understand everyone. Shew, I'm nervous but so very excited.

Well, that's it for now! Stick around because the real stuff is about to happen! Look for the name change too  here around the end of August :)

Au Revoir!

Andrew

Oh, and host family, if you're reading this. Thanks for taking me in. It means a lot :)