Ugh!

I’ve officially been in France for over two weeks, but it seems like so much longer. It’s been a rough two weeks.

Monday-Friday we’ve had an “intense” French class from 9-1. It’s really not that intense, and I don’t think I learned/improved enough to get the 3 credits it got me, but whatever. It was just a long time to be in class. And we’ve had all sorts of homework, as is to be expected.

In the afternoon there have been bank accounts to open, and other things of the financial sort. Administrative meetings to sit through. Paperwork to process. Shit’s complicated.

We’re all trying to pick our classes, and apparently that’s not allowed to be easy. There are plenty of classes I’d love to take, but UWM is not being nice to me. At least I’m finally in contact with the head of undergrad for poli sci who essentially told me to just not repeat classes, and they’ll make it work for me.

I’ve had “Welcome to France” class all week at Sciences Po, along with orientation meetings there. Today I went back and forth between the two universities at least twice because of places I had to be all throughout the day. Absolutely exhausting.

I miss Washington. It’s weird reading about things happening on the Hill and not having it be old news for me. It’s hard to be so up to date on things when it’s not part of my job.

I don’t have real internet. I need to be in the garden (which has mosquitoes, scary sounding birds, and is visible to my crazy old landlord) to get a signal, for the most part. In my room, I get it on one square foot of space on the windowsill. Sitting on top of my desk is not comfortable. I don’t know when I’ll have reliable internet inside the entire apartment.

But it hasn’t been all bad.

It’s absolutely beautiful here.
I’ve gotten to know plenty of wonderful people who are part of my program.
I’ve met lots of really cool international students at Sciences Po.
I have my Arrested Development discs to unwind with at the end of the day.
I’ve been practicing my French.
The classes I’ll probably be taking sound really awesome, and I start on Monday.
I’m going to Marseille tomorrow. I get to see the Mediterranean for the first time!

Update to come tomorrow when I get home from that adventure…