Leaving

I'm stuck between believing this isn't real and being absolutely terrified.  On the one hand, the length of the preparations make it feel like it is just going to keep going- like there will be more paperwork, more waiting, more things to buy or pack.  But also, the reality is that tomorrow, at 2pm, I will fly to another continent to a country where I can almost speak enough of the language to get by.

I am going to assume (and hope) that this feeling will pass quickly, at least once I am there.  Earlier today, I booked a two hour walking tour of Lille (in French).  Since I will have most of the day to spend before I allow myself to sleep (have to fight that jet lag early), I figured it would be a good idea to see the city and immerse myself in French from the moment I arrive.

Even though I am a mess, at least my bags are packed and I'm excited (albeit nervous) to finally embark.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Visa

A little out of order, but I forgot to let the masses know that I now have my visa!!! Since the process of getting a French visa involves leaving your passport at the Embassy/Consulate, there was a lot of hoping and crossing of fingers that my documents would be mailed to me on time- or I wouldn't be able to leave the country!

The morning of my wisdom tooth extraction, UPS came to the door and delivered it (I've had to rush several medical appointments so that I would have them done in time to go abroad, so I have been pretty laid up for a few days with a sore and puffy face).  It was a little underwhelming, because all it was was a form that I had already filled out and given to the consulate with a small stamp in the corner.  Hey, at least it got here before their three week estimate (Friday, instead of Tuesday, which is today).

But that's not all!  Since it is a long stay visa (longer than 3 months), I am required to have a medical exam by a French doctor within the first 90 days of my visit or my visa expires.  Endless fun.

Packing (Yikes and Yay)

Okay, I probably didn't need two full size suitcases.

I did a lot of research (which ended in me pretty much guessing, since everyone packs different things) when it came to luggage size and what would allow 50 pounds but that wouldn't be too large for me to lug around.  I have two Travel Pro suitcases (pictured in a previous post), in 29 inches and 25 inches in depth.  From what I could glean from other blogs online about luggage weight, it seemed like the larger case would be better for chunky objects (ie: shoes) and could be packed to reach 50 pretty easily.  The size down from that, the 25 inch, seemed like it would be a little more difficult to reach the weight limit unless I was really packing it full.

I packed most of my stuff (excluding items like socks and all of my toiletries/cleaning supplies) into both of them a couple weeks ago and was thrilled to see myself far under the limit of 50 pounds per bag.  My larger one (with my shoes, all extra bags/purses, a towel, a small blanket, and all jackets and toiletries I had gathered at the time) came in at around 32 pounds, which is great since the size makes it cumbersome even when empty.  The smaller one I packed full of all my other clothes that were on my packing list (other than socks/undies).  It seemed to fill the case, but by no means did I cram it full and it still had plenty of space.  It came in at 35 pounds, so my plan is to pack everything else possible into this bag since the smaller size makes it more manageable.

The luxury of having the extra space (especially in the smaller one) is that I am able to bring full-sized toiletries and some packets of cleaning supplies (clorox wipes, since use laundry detergent) to make my first couple weeks there easier on me.  I know I'm going to a first world country, but the less I have to carry from the local store on that first day, the better.  Also, if the small one ends up over the limit, I will be able to shift some of my things to the other one and prevent me from being overcharged.

In total, I will have one suitcase in each hand and a backpack with my tech, changes of clothes, basic toiletries, and all of my travel documents.  Hopefully I'll be able to shuffle all of this stuff around from plane to train to wobbling down the street!!!  Though the space I have is excessive for just the trip there, I am glad that I'll have almost 20 pounds for the return trip to bring back to the states.

If anyone has gone abroad and has any tips on what they wish they'd had (or what they wish they had left behind), I'm up for suggestions!

My AMAZING Planner

Almost as important as the trip to the Consulate is my new planner.  I ordered it from personal-planner.com/US/ and love it!!!

Front cover, a Monet I love that has a similar feel to my phone background

The inside layout, everything perfectly customized for how I use planners!

It is a 12 month planner and the site allows you to chose the starting month.  It also allows you to select the country of origin, inputting both language and holidays.  In hindsight, I should have chosen French so that I could have French holidays while I'm over there, but I can always just write them in later.  There are also 18 pages at the back, both lined and blank, if I need to record longer lists/events that do not fit in the daily boxes or the weekly notes sections at the bottom of the pages (which I was able to customize exactly the way I wanted them).  I'm also glad that Sunday is in such a bright color, which will serve as a reminder that things in other countries actually close/have limited hours on Sunday.  

I wanted to have the perfect planner, as it will be a day-to-day record of my time in France.  I'm not one for detailed and consistent journaling, though I have this blog for intermittent use.  This way, I can have a very specific chronicle of my time in France.  I loved my planner last year and relied on it very heavily, so I'm hopeful that I do the same this year as well.  

Atlanta Adventure

After accumulating and organizing mounds of paperwork required to apply for a French long-stay student visa, the next step was to drive to the French Consulate in Atlanta, GA.  My dad and I were able to drive down the day before to get settled into a hotel literally across the street from the building where the Consulate is, so we had that going for us.  

After a painfully busy morning and a dreary drive, we arrived in Atlanta.  The Consulate was located in the Buckhead area of the city, so in the drive from the highway to the hotel, I saw some of the most beautiful and expensive homes and condos available (gated, of course).   We relaxed and had dinner before turning in early to prepare for our checkout and appointment at 10:45 in the morning.  

The binder of paperwork I brought into the Consulate.  No bags allowed, so my wallet was jammed in as well.  

In the morning, we took the hotel shuttle and I was at the consulate 30 minutes ahead of time.  I was allowed into the office space, but my dad had to wait in the lobby downstairs.  I was ushered into a space reminiscent of a bank, with a counter that had two windows, with men behind the glass.  A fun surprise- my friend Brett from UNCW was also applying for her visa!  It was a treat to see her before she ships off to Paris (best of luck, girl!).  

The room was quiet and, after Brett and another man, I was beckoned to the counter.  I removed the required documents from my binder and handed them to the man at the desk.  After all of my careful preparation, I still lacked a proper photo.  I was directed down the street to CVS to have an official passport-style photo taken before the Consulate closed for business.  After rushing there in a taxi and back, I submitted the photos and I was free!!!

 

L: Photo I brought to the consulate   R: Photo from CVS, that looks like a mugshot, but is on the required photo paper.  

Overall, the whole experience with the Consulate was so-so.  Weeks ahead when we emailed about appointment times, our email was never returned.  When we called, the operator was impatient and seemed unwilling to help.  The website was poorly organized and the list of required paperwork was very difficult to find.  However, my experience with the office workers there was pleasant and the man I spoke with was kind and clear in his directions.  I'm not looking forward to anything having to do with visas in the future, though I have more work to do on my immigration form (part of the long-stay visa) once I arrive in France.