Help!!!

Hello everyone,

As you all know, I am planning to study abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France from January to April 2014. However, even after loans, grants and scholarships, I have an overdue balance of over $3,000 in tuition and fees for the program. 

If I cannot gather the remaining $3,000 by the new year, I will lose my spot in the program, forfeit my original deposit, and be assessed a hefty contract breakage fee. Therefore, I am seeking your help.

If you would like to make a donation to help me cover my study abroad costs, please click the kitty above or in the right-hand side bar of this blog. Any aid can help! In exchange, I will send you a post card while I'm abroad.

Thank you so much for your support!

Best,

Back to Reality: Scholarship Stress

Salut mes amis,

Though I was blessed with the incredible opportunity to participate in the Moncton Explore program practically free of charge with the help of the abundantly generous FIPSE Grant, it's clear to me that such good fortunes only occur but once in a lifetime.

In fact, because of the immoderate price of my upcoming semester in France, paired with the poor USD/EUR exchange rate, I feel like I'll be paying enough for two study abroad trips this time around. My university financial aid simply can't cover it all. However, I knew I would have to work my butt off to afford the trip when I applied in the first place. After all, what price can I put on my dream?

To help cover the cost, I have applied for, myriad scholarships in the past; and recently, too, I have been applying to scholarships whose cut off dates occur late than normal on the academic calendar, such as the CEA direct awards. For some reason, though, I feel like the effort lately is especially stressful. Maybe it's because I'm finally so close to actually going. I just can't wrap my head around the crazy cost!

Have you experienced similar stress about financial aid? If so, tell me in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Mapleliciousness

Bonjour mes amis,

In my French Literature of the 20th Century class, while reading Proust, we have been talking about the strong ties between the 5 senses and our memories. What we decided is that above all others, taste and smell were the two most influential senses and that a whiff of a familiar odor, or a morsel of a once forgotten flavor can knock loose a tidal wave of emotions or experiences from our past even if they have been cached away for long periods of time.

I would absolutely have to agree. In fact, ever since I have been back from Canada, I have been a complete maple junky in what seems like a pathetic subconscious attempt to keep my experience in the forefront of my memory. I just keep craving it.

The weirdest part is, I didn't even really have many maple goodies while abroad, save for a few (delectably addicting) maple sandwich cookies and some hand-tapped syrup with my Couchsurfing hosts. Though I did sniff my $100 bills a lot... I guess I just associate maple with Canada based on the popular stereotype. Either way, je suis accro!

It all started when I found a maple-pumpkin candle at a local store upon coming home. The scent was just so fantastic - sweet, warm, familiar, and comforting. I burned it almost completely up until I replaced it with Scentsy's "Maple Butter" bars in a warmer. 

Next, maple extract and syrup was flavoring my coffee, topping my ice cream, and dripping through my mind. Yum! I guess, is it could be worse, though, right? As far as addictions go, I'll take maple over anything...

What scents/tastes bring you back to pleasant memories? Let me know in the comments!

Au revoir!

Hired!

Bonjour à tous!

I have great news to share: The WIU Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures has hired me on as a French tutor!

I am so excited to be able to work on maintaining my newly-improved French language skills, while helping my fellow students develop theirs. Plus, the extra income will help me save up for my upcoming study abroad trip to Aix-en-Provence.

Thanks for reading!