One Month Update!

Hello blog followers!

I'm so sorry for not updating more often! I've been busy with school, apartment, social life and just living in a foreign country. I'm so glad that anyone is willing to read this blog at all. I hope that nobody is disappointed with my lack of posting.

Anyways, I'm going to go back to my last update and try to update everyone from that point until now :)
So, January 11th was my last post. At that point in time, Toulouse was becoming my home away from home. I had made an excellent group of friends who have come from all over the world to study at TBS. My apartment was finally coming together (dishes, linens, grocery shopping, etc.). However, the last thing that wasn't quite fitting in was the schooling.

I was seriously questioning whether or not I should stay. I had a ridiculously HORRIBLE week and pretty much everything fell apart. I was having apartment problems, problems at home, banking problems and school problems. The conglomeration of problems were too much for one person. I was on the brink of returning because I wasn't too far into the semester at UC. Cincinnati was having a particularly bad winter causing a lot of school closings and all that jazz. Considering the weather situation in Cincinnati, I would have ample time to make up the work. I had my bag packed and was ready to go at a moment's notice. I was at the point where all I needed was the word of one professor and I was on the next flight out of Toulouse. However, I had my, "come to Jesus moment." I was sitting down in my apartment, had just made dinner, was drinking a fantastic glass of wine from Bordeaux... I decided that I needed to just roll with it. Studying abroad isn't just 100% about school. It is about 25% schooling and 75% dealing with ambiguous situations. My international experience broke me. I was in tears more times than I had been in years. I was frustrated beyond any other times I've been frustrated in my life. I was dealing with situations that I've never been faced with. I was broken down to the bare minimum of my psyche and this was when I needed to prove myself.

Since that moment in time, everything has gotten better. I mean everything. I've found how to deal with the schooling and take comfort in the fact that everyone hates it just as much or more than I. I've also figured out how to deal with laundry without spending 25€. I've mastered the art of grocery shopping. People at home may laugh a little at me when I say this but grocery shopping is an art. You can only buy as much as you can carry and as much as you can transport on public transportation. Also, I'm sure that my body is well-adjusted to the water... But I am not going to drink it. Imagine carrying around 6 1.5L bottles of water along with your groceries in a huge bag over your shoulder for 30 minutes... IT IS HEAVY! Anyways, I've figured out how to deal with my landlady. That was the most challenging. I've figured out how to navigate Toulouse, day or night, sober or not, on foot, on metro, on bus, on tram. I KNOW WHERE TO GO. That's one thing that I am really happy about. It is another way of feeling independent. My French skills are coming along but I don't feel good enough to use them fluently. I know that, "à gauche" and "à droite" is left and right. So if I am really lost, I can ask a stranger. I can ask questions properly so that is good!

Well, I am finally getting somewhat settled in in Toulouse and it has been about 6 weeks and I am almost halfway there... It is crazy how quickly this is flying by!!

xoxoxoxoxo,
Hannah