Airport Hijinks

So the plan, as of 7:00 AM this morning, was that I would fly from Memphis to Newark to Paris CDG over the course of 12 hours or so. Mom and I had driven up to Memphis and stayed at the Drury Inn, which puts out quite a tasty spread of hot appetizers and cold drinks every evening at 5:30 PM for FREE, so guys, if you're looking for a cheap but classy establishment to take a date to, that's my suggestion.* We watched the Weather Channel for a while and hoped that the horrible weather swinging through Oklahoma and Arkansas would miss Memphis and went to bed.

Clearly I wouldn't be writing this if I had gotten out on time. Actually, if I had gotten out on time, I wouldn't even be on the internet--I would be enjoying an in-flight cheesy romantic comedy with the volume as loud as possible to drown out the Danish guy next to me scarfing down his dinner and the women behind me talking in French about how lucky they are that Americans never learn another language so they can talk about them behind their backs. You'd be surprised how often this happens, in all seriousness. I've called several Frenchies out in their own language.

Anywho, flight is canceled due to what the perky ladies on Weather Channel refer to as the "Winter Triple Threat!" sweeping across the mid-South, I call Continental to rearrange, find out ALL flights out of Memphis are canceled but there is a later flight out of Jackson. I took it, we threw our stuff in the car, and hightailed it out of there. Halfway there, I pulled out mom's iPhone to check the status of the Jackson flight (I bet you know how this is going to end to...let's say it together): CANCELED.

After yet another call to Continental, and hearing the automated man say "I'm sorry, I cannot process your confirmation number, please hold while I connect you to an operator," we came to to conclusion that I was not going to be leaving the country today. As mom said, "We're working against God and against Mother Nature and neither of them want planes in the air today." I'm just really glad that I don't have to be present at UCO until Wednesday morning, so even if something happens tomorrow, I still have a bit of wiggle room. I figure that this could mean one of two things: that this is the worst of it, and it can only go up from here, or that this is just a sign of things to come. I really, really hope it's the former. I'm going to be so paranoid about my credit cards and passport, just in case.

We amused ourselves at home by watching our crazy cat chase around a laser pointer, and I caught up on all the celebrity gossip I missed during this debacle. I need to see Dr. Drew about my PerezHilton addiction...but now I can read his website ~*IN FRENCH*~ so I can increase and decrease my IQ, simultaneously. And being in France, I will now have access to all of the Western European gossip rags, too. Knowing what the deposed arch-duke of Czechoslovakia wore to some artsy gallery will be right up there with reading about Lindsay Lohan's newest girlfriend's meth habit. I'm excited! Maybe Prince Harry will dress in a Medieval Crusader costume for Mardi Gras/Carnevale and offend the entire Muslim population this time around...

So, God willing, my next post will have pictures of my new room and the surrounding area. Keep your fingers crossed!

*Note: Despite my own personal opinions of the Drury Inn and its accomodations, I cannot be blamed if your date chooses to A) loudly and verbally shame you in front of the other DI patrons and B) never call you again. So take that as you will.

Getting Ready

France is just about a week away, so the trip is starting to consume my every other thought!! I'm starting to seriously think about packing: what to take, what to leave behind, what I can buy there, etc. Last summer I ended up taking way, way too much and I don't want to do that again; having to move all of the suitcases on and off the trains was such a hassle!

I'm studying at l'Université Catholique de l'Ouest in Angers, France (pronounced "ahn-zhay") which, as you can see above, is located west of Paris by about 90 minutes by TGV. At UCO I'll be at the International Center for French Studies (CIDEF) with all of the other international students learning French. I don't know yet what classes I'll be taking--my French proficiency will be tested on Feb 3 and then from there, depending on what level I get into, I'll be able to pick my classes.

Foyer Ormières will be my home for the next four months, and it's in a great location on the outskirts of downtown (or "centre ville") on a main road and within walking distance from the campus. I'll put pictures in when I move in, of course, but you can also see the area in Google Maps or on Google Earth. I'm really nervous but completely excited about living in another place with a different language and people and food. I had a bit of "acculturative stress" last summer, but I don't know if I'll get it again or if I'll just be fine when I go over.

There are a few things I'm looking forward to seeing/doing while I'm there: First, I've missed French cheese so much it's not even funny. Camembert held me over while I was home but I can't wait to try some really weird looking stuff too. Second, the weekly markets have the best smelling breads and fresh produce I've ever tasted. I hope they're still going on in the winter time, otherwise I'll have to wait for spring. Third, Angers is home to two botanical gardens and several museums, which I didn't have any idea about last summer! I love spending time in pretty places, so I know the gardens and riverbanks will be great hang outs when I'm ready to leave my room for a bit. Fourth, I want to travel a LOT! Angers is directly connected to the TGV so I'll be able to go all around France for day or weekend trips (Poitiers, Aix, Grenoble, Normandy, etc) but I also want to go around Europe whenever possible! I picked up a Europe Travel Guide book from Borders the other day, so I'll have to start making my Top Ten list soon. Granada, anyone?