XMAS.

First and foremost, Happy Christmas to my blog and blog friends (if anyone actually reads this)!

The theme of Christmas this year was supposed to be: low-key. Meaning not a lot of activities planned, no family coming to visit, no big feast, small gifts. You get it right? That's not how it worked though...

First, I ended up fighting with my stepdad over something stupid that I don't even remember doing. He said that I intentionally did something to piss him off, even though I did it because I was confused. He was a big ass to me, and kind of pissed me off. Not the best Christmas attitude.

Second, I got a really sweet road bike. Of course I was over the moon about getting a road bike. I've wanted one for years and I never thought that I'd actually get one. The one thing that concerns me about the road bike is how much it cost. In the end, once a trainer for it is purchased, it will be more than $1000. That's no pretty penny for my family. It concerns me that so much was spent on something for me, when I have big aspirations for the future. I mean a road bike is great and all, but in a way I'd rather have support for my abroad adventures that I'm planning in the upcoming year. I can't turn away the bike though. It was a pooled gift by everyone but my mom, and in the end my mom is the only one that really supports my abroad aspirations anyways.

Which brings me to the third point, and the most positive of them all. All of the gifts my mom gave me where Paris oriented. I got a European travel book and lots of warm fall clothes that will work really great for when I'm in Paris next year. The highlight is a great light coat that is knee length and very chic. Flipping through the book I got lots of ideas for what I want next year to be, and honestly: I CAN'T WAIT.

I've got about a week until I have to make legitimate New Year's Resolutions so while I'm thinking on it, I hope the holidays go well, both for myself and for everyone else.

Happy XMAS blog!

Damien Saez - Montée Là Haut

I guess it's weird to think that a year from now I could very well be returning from the greatest adventure of my life. In a way a year is a really long time, but at the same time its nothing at all. I have a lot of hopes and aspirations for the next year, 2008. I guess I'll have to reflect on them over the next few weeks as the year 2007 comes to a close. Its been a very interesting year. I achieved a lot of things I wanted to achieve, and I found out a lot about those people I care about the most. I learned which people I can trust, and which I can't. I guess I learned who my real friends are. I've put myself in a position in the academic world, and the real world, to achieve what I want out of life.

I guess? Maybe I don't really know what I want yet? Maybe that's what 2008 will be for?

For now I leave you with perhaps one of the most beautiful songs I know. And one of the most telling.

la tour eiffel

Amazing.

Seriously, I want to see this, like right now. Instead I'm sitting on my couch in Wisconsin watching Survivor. I'm pretty sure it's about time I see the world. I mean Survivor? Come on.

Also, I managed to pull off a B+ in French 204, which means Celine really did like me and recognized how hard I worked in that class. That's a good thing because she's the one writing my abroad rec!

jeune et con

Puisqu'on est jeune et con
Puisqu'ils sont vieux et fous
Puisque des hommes crèvent sous les ponts
Mais ce monde s'en fout
Puisqu'on est que des pions
Contents d'être à genoux
Puisque je sais qu'un jour nous gagnerons à devenir fous

I want to be in this video. Right now.

PANIC!

So I had a slight panic attack today. I went to see Celine, my French professor, and I asked her if she would mind filling out a teacher recommendation for my abroad application. She agreed without hesitation, which was nice. Afterwards, however, I dug myself into a bit of a hole. I babbled for about thirty seconds about how she could give it to me and I would deliver it to the office for her. And then I realized that I was speaking to her in the "tu" form. This form is incredibly informal, and you are never supposed to address a teacher in it. I slightly panicked, tried to change to the "vous" form, which is the proper form to you, but at that point I think my mistake was pretty obvious. I don't think Celine will mark on my rec that I did that, but it freaked me out a little bit, especially because I have to impress her for my final exam still!

SHIT!

Plane Ticket to Paris 11-19-07

If I flew to Paris tomorrow a one-way plane ticket would cost:

-$471 if I had a stopover in Copenhagen (cool) on SAS

-$644 if I had a stopover in Stockholm on SAS

-$744 if I had a connection in Dublin on Aer Lingus

-$1217 if I had a stopover in Manchester on British Airways

-$1267 if I had a stopover in Madrid on Iberia

-$1687 if I had a connection in Newark on Continental

-$1697 if I had a stopover in Milan on Alitalia

-$1716 if I had a connection in Philadelphia on American Airlines

-$1720 if I wanted to fly non-stop on United

The point of this exercise? Well there are several. First, it seems much more economical to fly on foreign airlines and stopover in really cool and exotic locales in Europe. Second, buying tickets the night before probably isn't a very good idea. Third, if I wanted to I could be on a flight to Paris (through Copenhagen) with half of what is in my Citibank account, tomorrow.

Fourth, I really want to get out of here.

I'm Too Restless Here

I've decided that I am entirely too restless here in Chicago.

I've grown up and lived my entire life in the Midwest and I am ready for a change. I want to break out of the bubble I'm so used to and see the world. Right now I spend my days sitting in classes that are mildly interesting to interesting, and a lot of what I hear has to do with the world.

But this world is a world I've never actually seen.

The farthest from home I've ever been was California, and that was just this past summer. I've only spent a total of five nights off of US soil, seven days in total, and those forays were into Canada, which is hardly much different than the US.

I need to see something new. I want to experience things that I can't experience here.

I decided pursuing Study Abroad was my best bet for getting a real feeling of another part of the world. I've chosen a program in Paris that looks suitable for what I want. It offers an overview of French History, taught in the French Language, with many excursions integrated into the program. I think Paris will be a good springboard for forays into other parts of Europe as well, something I will be more than excited to pursue.

In the meantime I will likely be spending many hours fantasizing about what could potentially be my academic future, and searching for plane tickets to exotic locales on the internet. Tonight, I've been trying to find a cheap way to go to Costa Rica. Why? Because I want to swim in a waterfall and zip-line through the rain forest. I guess I can't really do that here can I?

Ah, restlessness.