Blog for Ms Mac posted by Darlin' Charlin!

For some unknown reason Blogger’s website no longer loads on my laptop. Truly tragic, because I like writing when snuggled into bed.

In more exciting news, I think I have made plans for the next couple of months! Maybe. I’m indecisive and my heart tends to start beating in a bad pattern at the thought of spending excessive amounts of money.

So it turns out French classes in France are, well, super expensive. A four-week course would be about $3400CAD. That includes accommodation, but just seems insane considering that was almost a year’s tuition when I started uni. It’s quite a bit cheaper if you find your own accommodation, but I can’t seem to find actual apartment or room listings for the city I want to go to, just vacation apartment rentals which are meant for more than one person. It’s about 1000€ cheaper if I find my own place to live. Also, I should mention the accommodation by the school provides half board. You can save about 250€ by going for breakfast only, no supper. Realistically, were I cooking for myself, I would never spend 250€/month on groceries.

Ooh, I found some websites with rooms. This is actually quite exciting!

The plan is, and I even have flights picked out, I think, just haven’t booked them yet, is to fly to Ottawa in a couple of weeks on aeroplan points, then fly from Ottawa to Paris. Depending on what day I arrive, take the train to Aix-en-Provence where I will experience culture shock and start panicking on an extreme level. Then, in late mid-late December, fly back to Ottawa, and then back here.

Things to be concerned about now:
· Making sure there is space available in the school I chose.
· What to do with my room here – keep it, or give it up with the assumption I won’t be here long in 2010 and that my parents want me to live with them for 3-4 weeks?
· Decide whether I need to purchase the traditional “giant backpack” or use luggage instead.
· Somehow obtained a cheap version of Microsoft Office 2007 for Laptop so I can still work while awhile.
· Packing?!

Woo!

Unrelated to anything, but last night I went out with semi-straight hair and almost felt guilty for liking it. I like to encourage people to embrace the natural waves and curls in their hair. I almost felt like a traitor, but I had just let my hair dry when getting out of the shower without putting any hair goop in it, so it looked odd. The choice was either pull back into a knot, wet hair again and start from scratch, or slightly attack it with my broken hair straightener. I also realised when someone has straight hair and no fringe (mine was pulled back last night) you noticed one’s face more. Curly hair and fringe are distracting, and one tends to notice the hair rather than the face. Theory supported by my random discussions in the past, and crappy articles linked to on msn’s homepage.

Last night I had a weird dream that basically had two stories. The one that was more random involved the author of a blog I read. I was at his house, and woke up in the morning in his bed. I’m not why I was there, how I got there, what had happened, etc. I don’t think it was any sort of short-lived relationship, just needed a place to crash. But I was trying to sneak out as I didn’t want his kids to see, I thought that would be awkward.

Then my parents came to pick me up. Which signalled the start of the second dream. But in the first dream I had my bike, so it’s possible me and the blogger went biking. When I woke up this morning my brain was a series of giggles, and then I got a bit meeeeeh over the fact I had no one to bike with. But I also haven’t called anyone.. so… no right to complain, I suppose.

My brain has been polluted for the past week. I find coming home from vacation increases the likelihood of negative thoughts. Going to bed a bit cranky, waking up in a fowl mood, little annoyances seeming like massive mountains. Feeling like there wasn’t really something to look forward to (in a non-suicidal way).

And now I have something fantastic to look forward to! Wandering around in a strange country struggling to communicate! Seriously. There are some things you just know are going to be good. Hawaii was so obviously one of those. Florida was one. My pizza from last night filled my high expectations (hurrah Dominos!)

I’ve been to France before, and loved it. So now I’m going elsewhere in France, but expect to love it too. Also exciting is that I can visit folk I know in Northern Ireland and Scotland!

The sky is very blue, and I have a plan. I also realised that apparently I can plan only one thing at once. I have to wait until something is finished until I can start actually planning the next step. For example, had trouble with France when was still planning New England trip.

!
It’s a good Sunday.