EEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!

And here it is... My bags are packed (except for essentials to get to the plane), I've said goodbye to all my dear friends and family (with exception to my parentals, Kramer and Katie), and I'm scared as all get out to board that plane in about 36 hours to leave everything familiar that I know for 4 whole months!!! I know it really isn't that long, but just knowing that I can't just drive home, or simply CALL home for that matter, is quite frightening. But I suppose it's too late to turn back now folks!! The time has come to figure out this crazy thing called life and make it the best ever. :) 
This really and truly is probably the craziest/stupidest/best thing I am ever going to do in my entire life and it's weird that it's already time for it to begin!! I never thought this day would come to be honest with you... Yet here we are. Me typing away and you reading :) 
I've watched all my movies to prepare myself for the adventures I hope to encounter while taking over the continent currently known as Europe (I'm going to change it after I dominate it). I watched The Lizzie McGuire movie last week because I've always fantasized that during my stent as a foreign exchange student, some European pop star is going to find me and confuse me with his singing partner and I'd suddenly be able to sing and perform in front of the world but I would end up being with an American... but I don't like that ending. So I am currently watching Made of Honor because that is clearly more realistic for what I am wanting to accomplish. Find me my European duke and make him fall madly in love with me, but yet again Hollywood chooses the lazy American. That will just not do. So Princess Diaries 2 it is :) She ends up with the Lord who would have become king had she not taken the crown. Now that my friends is what's going to happen. Get excited.
So that has been my regimen to prepare and psych myself up for this grand adventure that is about to occur: Hollywood's view of American girls trying to win the hearts of foreign men and ending up with the American... We'll see how this goes -- please stay tuned.


And that concludes my rant because I've been packing all day and am just ready to show Europe what we Americans are REALLY all about!! :)

Preparations......

Hello friends and/or family who are reading this!!


And so the time has come -- time to start packing for the 4 month journey. As if it isn't hard enough trying to pack clothes to last for 4 months, apparently the weather is almost as psycho as is it is Texas and Oklahoma... So what to pack?! Frankly, I have no earthly idea. Coats or just jackets? How many pairs of boots? Shirts, sweatshirts; long or short-sleeved? What's a girl to do?! I'm open to any suggestions. Really. Hit me with your best shot people.


And on a random note: no, I am not in France yet contrary to my 1st (and only) post preceding this one because the dates of my study abroad departure were moved in like October... sorry I didn't update if you were confused and wondering "why hasn't she posted anything yet?! OMG I need to know!!" (yet, I highly doubt any of you were really too worried. That sounds very conceded of me to even suspect that you would be :) )


I did get my student visa though!! That was an interesting process... those French sure don't like to make things easy that's for dang sure. But yeah, I got it and all it really is is a pretty colored sticker taking up a page in my passport. Sure hope I don't need that one! ;) muahaha! I'm just joking, there's a section just for visas, in case you never knew, learn something new everyday huh??


Buuuuuuut, yes I do have people to travel with :) very exciting news, I know. There are about 6 of us going from OU so we have come up with some plans to either travel together, meet up, or hopefully just meet each other at some point in the next 5 months... haha not really the last one, but lists sound lame in 2s and really only work in 3s.
Just FYI - ("for your information"... yes, I will most likely be using multiple acronyms throughout my blogging adventure but will try to keep them simple/easy to understand) - I am leaving the states on February 17th (that's only 23 days!!! EEEEEP!!!) and will be arriving to my post in the Viche (Vichy) on the 18th. Should be fun ;)


Sooooooo I think that's probably a pretty good update/ good indicator of how this is going to go, for now.
Keep checking in before/during/after <--(duh) February 17th because I will try to keep a constant update especially during the beginning :) And hope to keep it entertaining for all of you so you don't fall asleep at your computer reading my posts that may possibly be comparable to some children's novels (only the best ones of course).

à bientôt, mes amis!!

-- Hayley


ps: My favorite song of the time is "Good Life" by OneRepublic so you should go take a listen if you haven't heard it :) It's kinda gonna be my theme song for this year. Basically you can tell just from the title alone. Really, go listen. It's happy :)
YouTube -- Good Life
Another good one for my journey I've decided is "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and the Machine. Possibly just because it was on the trailer for Eat, Pray, Love and the whole "eat" section is what I'm channeling for my semester, but it really is just a song you want to dance to. And I plan on dancing wherever I am.
YouTube -- Dog Days Are Over
So yes, go listen to those and I will be picking new songs throughout the semester (hopefully I get some cool French ones from all the new friends I'll make!!) for y'all to listen to so that this isn't all about me. :)


For reals now, peace out.

ACCEPTED!!!!

I am officially accepted for studying abroad in Vichy, France for the spring semester!! So now the real fun begins! Time to start planning what I'm going to take, what I'm going to do, and more importantly-- who's going with me!! eeek! Also, I have to get used to blogging regularly so that I can keep solid records of everything for the whole semester! haha it's going to get crazy so bear with me. Get ready to live vicariously through me and be jealous. :) I'm just kidding... sort of.


I'm super pumped and just want it to be January 3rd!!!!!! :) woo hoo!!


France, ready or not, here I come.