Entry #1: 6/29/2013 9:00 PM
I love birds and I have always had this desire to break rules and push limits. I like to think I am capable of anything. I can overcome any obstacle or scale any wall by sheer determination and will power. Now, maybe you can understand my inevitable disagreement with gravity. And therefore my undying passion for flight.
I find airports thrilling and exotic. Everyone in an airport has a story. Whether it is the exquisitely put-together stewardess or the hodge-podge groups of family vacationers. They all come from somewhere and are on their way someplace else. They leave jobs, homes, and loved ones for new destinations, a chance of adventure, and unforgettable memories. Perhaps this is a romanticized viewpoint, but for me airports will always have a flare of mystery and a taste of the unknown. The aloof environment of an airport provides a unique opportunity for obscurity. You could be anyone in the world. This is one of the reasons I find travel so seductive. When you leave the mundane demands of everyday life behind you can also leave a few pieces of your character. For example when I travel I like to leave my control freak side at home.
I am currently flying at 35,006 ft. altitude over the Labrador Sea, south of Greenland. I am en route to Paris, France where I will be taking a train nearly 300 km west to Angers, France. For the next nine weeks I will be studying abroad at L’Université Catholique de l’Ouest and having the summer of a lifetime.
I was once told every person has a dream country or continent. For example one of my friends is an Africa person, another is Eastern Asia, and another simply Australia. I however have always been a Western Europe person. I loved growing up in the United States. And yet for as long as I can remember I have always dreamed of traveling to Europe. And now I am finally almost there. It is terrifying when your dreams actual start coming true. I am nervous because I have never traveled to another country alone and I am anxious about my French language skills. However more than anything else, my stomach is bubbling with anticipation. I am going to France! I feel like it won’t truly hit me until I arrive in the Charles De Gaulle airport. Simply because I have no idea what to expect. It is hard to come to terms with a concept when you have nothing to go off of. I simply cannot wait for my first glimpse of France. I have been waiting my whole life for this moment. The expectations are set pretty high! France, don’t let me down!
Bon voyage,
Sarah