Monday, July 29, 2013

My visa is here!

Bonjour!

So as you know I was in San Francisco a week ago applying for my visa. It arrived only 6 days later! 6! Usually processing takes up to 2 weeks and I got mine back in less than a week! The visa itself is this sticker thing that takes up an entire passport page. Next up is getting my ticket from IYWT, which will hopefully happen sometime this week!Everything is getting so surreal and I cannot wait to leave!

Only 23 days of waiting left! Au revoir!

Amelia

Monday, July 22, 2013

San Francisco Visa Appointment

Bonjour!

Things are finally getting accomplished! On Monday, July 22, my lovely IYWT agent, other students going to France, and myself went down to San Francisco for the in-person consulate appointment. I'll get to that later though. First, I'd like to share one of the coolest things I've discovered about the Rotary program this weekend. 

On Sunday, I went up to Seattle to spend the night in a hotel close to the airport with 3 other RYE students as well as my IYWT agent (since our flight was at 6am the next morning). One of the girls flew in from Montana, one was from Seattle, and the other was a girl from who is actually going to Spain. The girl from Montana arrived first, myself second, the girl from Seattle third, and the girl from Idaho last. We all got acquainted in no time and were way deeper in conversation than I ever thought imaginable. We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and took some cheesecake back to the hotel room (which, mind you, we never ate and also left in the San Francisco Airport's waiting area...oops?). We had barely known each other a few hours and it already felt like weeks or even months. On Monday we grew even closer and became such rapid friends in less than 24 hours. This is one of the unseen or unmentioned aspects that Rotary Exchange brings you: the opportunity to make lifetime friends in a day or two. It happened at Outbound Orientation and it happened this weekend. Making connections with people so quickly is a part of this experience that I wasn't expecting at all.

Now, back to the actual visa appointment. So everyone either flew in or drove to San Francisco. Those who flew in took the BART (San Francisco's version of the Tube in London) to a location a few blocks away from the consulate. Once we arrived near the consulate we all killed time in Chinatown while the local Californian RYE students trickled in. In one of the shops, I heard a couple speaking in French and was going to talk to them (or at least attempt to), but my buddies were leaving the store and alas, I had to follow. We had lunch at Cafe de la Presse, which was alright, but no where near as good as what we'll all get once we're actually in France. We all tried escargot and I was not a fan of the texture (at all really), but the flavor was delicious (garlic and butter, so that's a given). After lunch we went to the consulate for our 2 o' clock appointment with Jean-Luc. It wasn't what one would expect when hearing they are going for an "interview". You just sat there in front of them and handed your papers and passport in through the window. The only reason you hand to go in person was so that they could fingerprint you and take a photo of you. The woman who worked with me seemed very nice, but they were muttering in French behind the glass... I don't know what they were saying exactly (it was pretty muffled), but I did catch a few words and phrases, which I was proud of. After the appointment itself, we all flew home and I talked the entire flight with the other girl from Seattle. Like I mentioned before, it became so easy with the other RYE students to just talk and actually express emotion in ways that our usual friends frown at. We also ended up sitting next to a Rotarian from the other girl's district! We talked to him for a while and gushed about the program just a bit (ok maybe a lot). Seattle didn't greet us with rain (thankfully) and I believe everyone got back to where they were supposed to be safe and sound!

I should get my visa sometime late this week or early next week!

Until then, au revoir!

Amelia 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Family!

Bonjour!

I have been in contact with my first host family! They seem so nice and sweet and perfect. My host parents both teach at the high school I'm going to. My host dad teaches French and my host mom teaches Spanish. It's safe to say that I'll be getting some grammar lessons at the dinner table :). They have three kids. The youngest is a six year old girl, the middle child is a fifteen year old girl, and the oldest is an 18 year old man(?). The fifteen year old is going on an exchange to Canada when I'm at her home, but I will get to meet her because she leaves four days after I arrive. YAY. 

I finished my visa application yesterday and sent it off to the travel agent. I have to go down to the consulate in San Francisco for the walk in appointment on July 22. The day before I'm going up to Seattle to spend the night with the travel agent and two other girls going to France. Then we wake up at 3:00 in the morning to catch our 6:30 flight. Gross. Oh well. Once I have the visa the travel agent will give me my flight information! I already know my arrival date, but it has changed since the last time I told you. My host family requested me a day early! I arrive in France a day before everyone else does. Initially, I felt guilty for having one more day than everyone else....that was short lived to say the least. So I arrive on August 22. I won't fly with any Rotary students (the ones going to France that is), but that's alright. Besides, I don't need anyone else to have to deal with my somewhat psychopathic maneuvering around airports. Travelling alone probably would have been the best option anyway...I'm weird like that. 

I hope to start a vlog soon. I'll be posting it on YouTube. I'll also let you know about my life on here, but the vlogs may be more recent. :)

ONLY. 43. DAYS. 

Au revoir!


Amelia

PS: The countdown on the blog is no longer counting down to the day I leave; it is counting down to the day I arrive!