Bays, Bridges, and Buildings

The title of this blog translates to "good travels, well traveled."  In my lifetime, however, I would hardly like to say that my travels have been anything particular exciting, nor am I well traveled.  But it's slowly going that way.

This past weekend, I got up at 4 am in the morning to take the three hour drive down to San Fransisco California to stop at the French Consulate in order to obtain my visa. 

I know people who are familiar with big cities who would say that San Fransisco is fairly small.  However, being from a town where only one building has an actual escalator, it was something big to me.

At the consulate, I met a girl who had to come all the way from Alaska to get her visa in order to go to Paris to study.  Another couple was there from Washington- the San Fransisco Consulate is the only one available for people living to the north and north east of California, which is a bummer for people living out in the hills of Montana or something.  Then there's my Study Abroad buddy (hi Christine!) who lives like less than an hour away.  Luck of the draw.

Talking to the girl with the thick accent behind the glass was unnerving to say the least, which wasn't helped by the presence of a broken microphone, but it made me realize it was going to be along road ahead if I was having trouble trying to understand the French accent, especially if it was only in my native language...

Welcome, and Bienvenu

Before I introduce myself, I believe I will start this out with a cheesy quote:

"A journey of a thousand miles starts with a sing step."

So you may be asking yourself, what is this first blog post- this first step- leading to; what is your "journey of one thousand miles?"  Well, I'll tell you.

My name is Sean Clark.  I am a student in Humboldt State University in Arcata California. I am working to a double major in French & Francophone Studies and International Studies.  For both of these majors, there are many similar things that they both require, but one of the biggest things is that they both require me to study abroad, in a different country at a different school.  Catching on, aye?

This past Spring semester has had me filling out countless forms, talking to many people, and making big decisions which has all lead to my goal of studying abroad, which is happening this fall in no other place other than France.  This blog will be here to chronicle my experiences going abroad, recording what I will do, as well as to connecting me to people back home, to make sure I have not fallen to some tragedy while being a continent away.

 This August I will be flying over to Montpellier, France to go to school at Université Paul-Valerié, right in the cheart of the South of France.  The term "the South of France" seems so weird, exotic even.  People always imagine things when I tell them where I am going. Whenever people refer to "the South of France," it's always in spy movies or something, existing only as the rendezvous point where the main guy-spy goes to pick up his beautiful femme fatale spy-partner.

One person commented that I would be going from one of the "foggiest places on earth" (Arcata) to there.  Just saying "southern France" does not give it justice, after all, it gives no idea of how close I am to the coast, the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.   So "the South of France" will have to do, being that Montpellier is on the Coast- but it wouldn't have it any other way.

As far as I go, this will be my first time leaving the country, but far from my first time blogging, so I'll have at least one thing to keep me steady.  I'm sure you'll find out more about me along the course of this all.

So anyways, that's my journey.  I still have a while before I actually "set out," but I know I have some smaller journeys head of me before then, and I will surely keep this up to date about all of them.

A bientôt!