It feels like just yesterday that I was in the middle of the fall semester at my home university, with forever separating me and January 12, the day I leave for Paris for three and a half months. Somehow, though, the day of departure is now just around the corner and my mind has not caught up with this reality, still seemingly moving leisurely behind the clock.
The “goodbyes” and “last times” aren’t seeming to register as they come and go, as if my subconscious is tricking myself into thinking my daily routines will be just that -- daily -- through the next semester. That is obviously not the case, however, as everything is about to change. In just a few short days, I will have a new normal, complete with new daily routines, new people, a new family, a new home, a different city, a different country.
I am a mixture of emotions as I attempt to introduce my mind to this upcoming change. On the one hand, I am hesitant about having to leave the life I established over the past semester, with a new home and new roommates who became invaluable parts of my day to day life. On the other hand, I am incredibly excited and ready to be back in one of my favorite places on earth as more than a temporary visitor.
Study abroad has always been a dream of mine, an inevitable part of my college experience. Having been to Paris twice before, I extremely comforted by the fact that I will be realizing this dream in a familiar place, one that I know I will enjoy just as much as the first two times, and more now that I will hopefully be able to feel as if I am becoming a local with every passing day. I am ready to find my place in the city, whether that be a cafe I make a beeline for every day after class to work on homework or a spot on the Seine that my friends and I head to to watch the city pass by on the weekends.
I have loved traveling all my life, and as I grow older, the amount of time I spend away from home gets longer and longer with each trip. This will be my longest adventure by far, and I am excited to discover what a trip of this magnitude has in store for me.
Jeanne Torp
<p>My name is Jeanne Torp. I'm a junior at the University of Mississippi majoring in International Studies and French and minoring in Environmental Studies! I will be studying abroad in Paris, France for the Spring 2020 semester, working to better my language skills and immerse myself in the French culture. After graduating, I hope to enter into the urban design or architecture fields, which I'm especially excited to be pursuing as new green and sustainable methods are being introduced to the field every day. Some of my hobbies include traveling, writing, photo- and video-taking, music, and reading.</p>
