I leave for France in approximately t-43 hours… it hasn’t fully processed yet and I am slightly stressing about all that needs to happen before I leave. This is the busiest time in UGA Housing, and my time as an RA is ticking down, but checkouts have kept me occupied for the past week and will continue until I leave Athens on Friday night, so moving out and packing have not been on the forefront.
Faith is keeping me going, in addition to the fact that I will be on a plane by this time Saturday on my way to Toulouse. I am thankful for the fact that I will be traveling with Matthew…my parents are happy with this as well since I don’t think they would be too keen on me flying to France alone.
I have not had as much time to truly prepare for France, but am ready for wherever this adventure takes me. I have been interested in this trip since freshman year, and all the stars aligned- and a few friends too-, so it’s happening. It’s really happening; I am going to France! I do hope I will see some cows…even if they may not moo differently as mom and dad keep asking.
Wine, cheese and chocolate awaits…and those are just some of the class topics! This year has been a full year of growth; I think I have learned more about myself and where I stand this year than most of my life. As a result, I have felt so alive, vibrant and youthful and I am itching to discover more, to see more, to learn more and to be more. A new (and big) adventure and experience could not have come in a better time as I finish this year and prepare for my final year at UGA as an undergraduate. My future is still a mystery, but I know I want to be part of agriculture, and to see agriculture through another’s eyes and learn about food production and the environment through another perspective is, in my opinion, essential to the future of agriculture. I am hoping my study abroad experience will help open my eyes to more opportunities within agriculture or more preferably aid in the direction of my future career. I wish to see the part food and agriculture plays in the total French culture and experience the interaction between agriculture and society, since a large deficit and disconnect in the two is displayed here in the US.
My final desire is that I will have a chance to go to a Cathedral for mass. I know I won’t understand it, but I want to be exposed to and embrace as much as possible…probably leaving with the desire to stay longer.
Best wishes and almost bonjour,
Sarah Jane
