The Train to Limoges

Just a head's up, not all trains have wifi. 

Like this intercités train that I took, so no way to let M Clermont (the person picking me up and kind of the go-to person between American universities and the Université de Limoges) that I was on my way. 

I did kind of make friends with the girl sitting in front of me. When her mom went go to the restroom, she turned around and looked at me. She didn't know English, so I tried asking her in French where she was going and if she was going to Limoges. She wouldn't really answer except that she wasn't going to Limoges.

The second time the mom left, she handed me un biscuit. It was super yummy and filled with chocolate!

I think it was a good thing I missed my first train.

I finally got to Limoges! Another gentleman helped me get my stuff off the train, and then he got back on. I think he was some kind of helper, because I noticed some guys at the other door just hanging out like he was. Either way, I was grateful because I was having all sorts of trouble.

At Gare de Limoges-Bénédictins, the platform is downstairs, so you can take the stairs or an elevator (THANK GOODNESS) to get to the entrance. Inside was beautiful! Also, there was WIFI!

Inside Gare de Limoges-Bénédictins

 I quickly checked my email to see if M Clermont had contacted me, but there was nothing. This didn't really bother me since a friend of mine had a kind of similar experience when she studied in France, so I just emailed him and let him know I was in the city.

Thankful for this wifi and super hungry, I stopped at the small sandwich shop and got a "formule plaisir." It came with a bagette sandwich, pastry, and a drink. They had my favorite french cheese sandwich, which is a buttered baguette, lettuce, tomato, and CAMEMBERT!

Why is this the cheese for their cheese sandwiches? I don't know and I don't care. I fricken love it.

For the dessert, I grabbed an abricotine. Basically, an apricot pastry that is ridiculously good.

That is one of my favorite things about France; they have a healthy obsession with apricots that I deeply appreciate.

After an hour or so, I decided that it was time to figure out how to get to La Borie, ma residence universitaire.

I had the phone number for the university and looked at using a pay phone, but it was a little more complicated than I expected and I didn't have the proper form of money to use for it. I then looked at the bus station, but at that time I had no idea where to go for a ticket or anything. Taxi it is.

I think the taxi was probably the best choice because of my bags and I didn't have a clue where I was going. Also, his vehicle had a giant sunroof so you could see the awesome buildings as you rode around.

Finally we got to an area I recognized from Google Maps (yeah, you better believe I looked it up before I left!) and knew that we were in the right spot. He dropped me off, and as I was asking someone which building was La Borie, I noticed the Accueil sign and felt a little dumb. 

Taking a deep breath, I walked into La Borie.

France Hates Large Bags (27 août)

I've been trying to be a big girl and use my French, but it is really hard when you just don't know the vocabulary for things. But truly, I've been trying.

I even spoke to the hotel receptionist at Ibis and got my key in French! Yay.

Despite being kind of tired, I ended up waking up around 2h30 and spent the next two hours fading in and out while my nerves were strained about my trek from Paris to Limoges.

I got out of bed around 4h20 and straightened up my suitcases a little before going to breakfast. 

The receptionist didn't mention where breakfast would be, so it took me a few minutes to find it. There was also no one there who checked my info to make sure I had paid for it, so I'm wondering if I could have gotten away with it for free. Darn it.

The food was excellent though! I had a piece of baguette, pain au chocolat, a small piece of cheese, orange juice, and a strawberry yogurt. I was so nervous about not looking dumb that I completely walked by the trays and silverware, and then had to ask someone where they found theirs. There went that plan.

From there I grabbed my luggage from the room and checked out. While I was sure that I knew where I was going, I decided to ask how to get to Gare'Austerlitz. This took up some of my precious time and I ended up being right after all. Now it was time to find the RER B entrance. 

Turns out, the entrance to RER B is a SNCF train entrance. After I realized this, I bought one ticket and had to use up my coins because the automated dispenser didn't accept paper cash or American cards (no chip).

I slide the ticket in no problem and the doors open after I take the ticket back out. I start walking through, and then I stop... Because my luggage is too wide to get through the space. I start pulling and yanking, and suddenly the large purple carry-on bag  detaches from the big black one! So I pull the black one through and WHAM the doors shut.

Excuse my "French," but I'm pretty sure I said "well, fuck."

Fortunately the ticket lets me back through.

Unfortunately, it won't let me use it again after that.

So now I don't have enough coins and no chip-in-pin cards to buy a ticket, all the billeteries (ticket booths with actual people) are still closed, and 2/3 of my luggage is out of my grasp, one of those bags being my actual carry-on duffel that has all my documents, laptop, and the sweater and bison that Wesley had given me. Obviously I was determined to get it back, not to mention that I had to get to the train station for my 6h42 train!

I start asking every person that comes by for help. It's funny because when you ask if they speak English they say "ouai" (yeah), but then I start talking in English they get confused, or they start speaking really quickly in French. So I try English with broken French. Still doesn't work. One guy was okay at speaking English, but he didn't have any coin money to trade me.

By this point I'm freaking out. Fortunately, the first train has stopped and let people off, so some people come up from the metro and look at my bags funny. I rush to the first person who comes through the doors and ask if she speaks English. She doesn't, but she points towards the luggage and asks something about needing to get through to the train. I say yes and she swipes her Navigo pass. HALLELUJAH! Thank you so much, random French lady.

I get my stuff situated again (I'm so glad the straps didn't break!) and head to the stairs to begin my descent.

Each step was agony. And loud.

I finally reach the bottom and there's a train just hanging out. I rush to get on it with all my stuff and sit down. And wait.

..Still waiting. What? Metros run all the time so this was really strange.

Finally some guy comes up and starts spurting French at me about train and Paris. I obviously look lost so he breaks it down to: You. Train. Paris? Apparently I needed to be waiting on the other side of the track to get on the next train. Whoops.

I get on, settle down, and all is good. I get to my stop and get all my stuff off no problem, and follow the signs for the metro to Gare d'Austerlitz. Of course, to get to this next stop, I have to get a new ticket and there are once again the stupid small metro doors. The time, however, a gentleman calls out to me and shows me a large glass door to the right of the small ones. YES!

I go through it and up to the ticket counter (thank goodness at least these are open) and buy my next ticket, and before I leave the cashier lets me know there is a large door I can use to get through. That's totally cool with me!

The wonderful thing about the metro is that 1)They're on time, and 2) They have electric time tables so you can see how many minutes before the train will arrive.

I get on no problem and it is just a matter of time before I'm at the last stop. I jump off with some other people and...wait, this wasn't the last stop. Crap.

I turn around to get back on and the siren sounds for the doors to close. Too late for me to get on, I keep telling myself it will be fine and another train will come. I look up and the next train won't arrive for 7 minutes, the exact time my train leaves the station. Greeeaaaaat.

Maybe today will be the first time the trains are running late?! Ha. A girl can dream.

Finally the next train arrives and I get to the stop I needed. Now, to find the right exit. The map by les sorties says there's 5 of them, and I need number 5. I go up and down different corridors, but all I see are exits 1-4! I ask some people but I don't think they knew either. I give up and speak to the next cashier in a ticket booth I come across, who doesn't speak English. I ask him in my best broken French, "Où est la sortie pour l'entrance (I forgot the word "entrée") de la gare d'Austerlitz?" He says to take the exit and go left, or something like that.

Turns out, the train station on the side I come up is a little sketchy looking at 6:45 in the morning. I just keep walking and find myself literally in the train station all of the sudden; it just opens up with giant archways and ahead are the trains.

As I had guessed, my train was gone.

I hadn't had wifi since I left the hotel. There was no way for me to email anyone that I was going to be late, and I didn't know what I was going to do if there wasn't another train for several hours. What was I going to do if there wasn't another train until the next day?

I kept it together while I inquired with the information booth just to make sure it had left; I held it in as I walked to the ticket booths, but as soon as I was at the queue, I lost it and cried as I walked up to the gentleman behind the desk. He was very nice and gently told me that I couldn't get a refund or exchange for my ticket, which I already knew. The good news was that there was another train in just an hour, but it was 59€. I didn't care and bought it. I was just relieved to be an hour late rather than be stuck at the station all day. "Everything is good now." He said, smiling. Well, it wasn't good, but it was better.

Since I had about an hour before my new train arrived, I sat at the café out by the tracks. I wanted to order some tea, but no one came by. I kept looking around for a waiter, and finally I saw someone approach a group of people a few tables away. After several more minutes, a waiter came by to see me and I was able to get my tea!

While I sipped and felt myself calming down, I kept an eye on all the boards with the train departures. A big sign below the boards says that la voie (the rail) would appear next to the train no later than 20 minutes before the train arrived.

Lies!

I watched and waited for the next train's voie to show up, and it didn't until 2 minutes after the departure time.

My train's voie showed up just 7-10 minutes before the departure time, and thankfully it was right in front of me. I quickly walked down le quai (platform) to my train car, and then had the joy of meeting my mortal enemy once again: small doors. WHYYYYYYYY?

Fortunately there was a gentleman who got on before me and he helped me get everything in. Then I got to struggle pulling the luggage between the seats, which was just as small as the doors! Finally the guy took pity on me and hoisted it to the luggage space above the seats. In those few minutes, I probably thanked him like, a thousand times.

The train actually took off 5 minutes early, which I thought was a little unfair incase anyone was running late (like me), but oh well. I was on the train and that's all that mattered at this point.

Airport Hotel Ibis Review

My reservation was 26-27 August.

I'll go ahead and tell you that this hotel is 4.75/5, aka super amazing in my opinion.

I don't know how well they speak English because I was practicing my French (gasp!), but I would assume it would be well enough to work at an international airport hotel.

They had this interesting lighting function where you had to put your room key in a slot by the door to get the lights to turn on.

The bed was slightly firm, which I like, and the pillows were like clouds of wonderfulness, haha.

I also had control of the thermostat, so I put that thing at like 15°C and passed out for a few hours.

I didn't try out the tv because I had to leave early the next day, nor the shower.

I would have given 5/5 if breakfast had been free. It was an excellent breakfast though.

Also, the view was pretty nice. You can't see it in the picture, but you could just make out la tour eiffel, especially when the beacon came around. 

From Iceland to France (26 août)

Because of my late arrival and rough night (which you can read about here), I unfortunately did not get to wonder around Reykjavik like I had planned. 

Instead, I napped, took a shower, and moved everything back where it belonged. I had 40 minutes before my shuttle was to arrive, and my breakfast was gone by that point, so I asked where I could find lunch nearby. The manager suggested Mosfells Bakari, which was a short walk down the street.

Let me just say, this place was super adorable and I wish I had time to take pictures inside like the crazy American tourist that I am. At this point I would like to point out that it was a wonderful 11-15°C, and I was wearing a thinner shirt and my hair was still wet, so they at the very least probably thought I was crazy anyways.

There, I was able to get a sandwich, kleina (twisted donut), and green tea. 

The sandwich was absolutely delicious!  It was turkey with Camembert cheese (my fave!), lettuce, a slice of bell pepper, and what I assume was  some kind of mayonnaise or aioli. The cashier wasn't sure of the ingredients in English, so I don't know. I just know that I ate it very quickly and wish I could have brought a bag full with me. 

The donut was also very good. It was just a little sweet, which I really enjoyed.

On the shuttle to Reykjavik, where I would switch buses to the airport, I had a driver and who I assume was a "student driver." Since the new driver was practicing and learning the route, the bus driver sat across from me and showed me pictures he had taken at the tours he drove. He was very nice and even pointed things out while we rode. 

I will absolutely be coming back to explore Iceland.

Airport Art - Top view

Airport Art  - Iceland made from its local products!

On the flight to France, I once again sat next to the main entrance, but fortunately I was one of the first people on the plane thanks to a lack of instructions at the gate, and was able to get my things up in the closest compartment and sit down before the mad rush began. It was also much warmer in the cabin this time around, which I was very grateful for. 

Cloud pictures. Love 'em.

I sat next to a lovely older couple from Vancouver, Canada, and we chatted here and there during the trip. The husband had GPS on his tablet so we were able to see where we were despite the map on the flight screen not working. We flew over parts Scotland!

Bonsoir, Paris!

At CDG, I got to wonder around a little lost while trying to find the proper baggage claim, and then pull it all out of the way to connect together and drag to the hotel, which I also got lost trying to find. I was also hobbling a little because my shoes ended up destroying the back of my heels. So much for the extra heel slips I added to try and stop that.

Fortunately, I found an info desk and they were able to direct me. Also, it says you need a bus to get to Ibis Airport hotel, but it is actually connected to the airport and there are buses outside of it. Easy peasy, really, once you learn to read the signs correctly.

Learn How To Lock a Scandinavian Lock, or My Review of Hotel Laxnes

My reservation was for 25-26 August.

The hotel reception closes at 8pm, so upon my arrival at 1am, I had to get my key out of a small grey lock box. 

Iceland must be a very trusting place, because the code was on the door in case you forgot it.

I get into the room and it is very clean and cozy. I end up with two twin beds pushed together, and an extra twin was also in there. It was equipped with a small sink, stove top, a purple kettle, and mini fridge. It also had large beautiful windows.

That view though!

As I went to lock the door, however, I realized that I couldn't turn the deadbolt very far. So then I start messing with the door. I try it with the door opened, closed, inside, outside. For the life of me, I could not get it to lock! And of course there is no one there to ask. I panicked, to be honest, and planned on sleeping in the bathtub. 

Fortunately Laxnes does have free wifi, so I emailed the hotel manager.. Never heard back. So by 1:40, I FaceTime my mother to having her call booking.com to see if they can help. 

Nope. They said they could cancel, but I would still get charged because of the reservation I made.

1) That's pretty rude when I'm concerned for my safety.

2) I'm in the middle of nowhere and can't call a bus to come get me because I can't call out from my phone. Hence why I had my mother call them.

So what I end up doing is this:

The bed was just light enough for me to rotate and drag over to the door, and with my added weight I didn't think anyone was coming in. If they were, I was close enough to the bathroom to get in there and lock the door. 

Let's just say I slept terribly. 

At 7:30, since the reception doesn't open until 8, I go to breakfast.

I ended up eating delicious berry (blueberry?) yogurt, plain oatmeal, a piece of toast, a slice of orange, and then some hot (earl grey?) tea and water. The yogurt was honestly the best part. It was a bit thicker than American yogurt, and much more sour. So yummy!

Afterwards I finally found the hotel manager and spoke to him about the lock not working and how I didn't sleep well because of it. He says "It's a Scandinavian lock. You have to pull up the handle and then twist the knob to lock." 

Yeah, thanks for letting me know that in my welcome letter for late arrivals. He let me stay later to nap until my bus came though, so that was nice.

Overall, I'd give it 3 stars/5

It would have been perfect if I had been notified of the locking process.

Allons! 25 août

My last breakfast in the States: McDonalds. Haha

I arrived the morning of 25 August at RDU with one large suitcase that barely made the maximum requirement, my large purple carry-on bag that I also checked in, and then a roller duffel and my purse (which went from being slim and light to super chunky and uncomfortable. I also had my wonderful clothes-filled neck pillow and my mother. Thanks to traffic, I made it minutes before they started calling people to board. 

I don't know if this is how all statravel bookings work, but I wasn't able to pick my seat, and ended up sitting in a middle seat. It wasn't the most uncomfortable, but I couldn't have done it for more than two hours. And the pilot next to me smelled a little.

The lady to my left was very sweet and helped make sure I knew where the baggage claim was since I had to rush around to the tram and get to the next terminal to check everything back in and go through a very strict security check for my next flight at JFK to KEF. This is why I like terminals that are connected behind security points, like Charlotte.

My first accident - I dropped my 44lb (20kg) suitcase on my foot when dragging it off the belt in JFK. 

The attendant at the IcelandAir desk was very sweet. She was able to ship my luggage all the way to CDG so I didn't have to lug it around during the layover. She also let me have a window seat, but I didn't realize that when she was putting me beside an exit, it was going to be the door that we entered the plane. It wasn't that terrible, but I did have to awkwardly hang out in the plane partially in everyone's way, and my luggage was put in a compartment a few seats back (this became a pain when everyone is trying to exit and you need to get in their way), and my other items, such as raincoat, purse, and documents, were thrown into a compartment a few seats ahead. When someone opened it, some of my stuff fell on the lady sitting below it. Whoops.

I did get to sit near a guy from Copenhagen, and across the aisle was a guy from Australia who was trying his best to be suave with the hostess. It was kind of funny because later we learned her boyfriend was on board.

Bye America!

I'm coming to you, Iceland!

On the airplane pillows.

Free water? I'll take it!

After arriving at the Keflavik airport, I made my way through the slightly confusing terminal, found a busing desk to check in, and was on my way to Reykjavik. 

Icelandic Words.. I seriously can't pronounce them.

Oddly enough, this was in fact quite the opposite direction from the hotel I was staying at  (I will post a review soon). Turns out, from the tourism office I had to change over to a smaller shuttle and then travel back the way I came, and I was the only one on the bus. Finally, around 1am, I made it to Hotel Laxnes.

The Homemade Travel Neck Pillow

As I mentioned in a previous post, I found  on Pinterest the amazing idea of creating your own neck pillow and then stuffing it full of clothes! Absolutel genius! Thank you ducttapeguitar!

I sent the pin to my grandmother, one of the craftiest people I know, and we got to work. My mom supplied me a men's medium shirt, which I folded in half the "hot-dog" way and, after meticulously flattening it out, I attempted to draw half of a big "C," because they are not really shaped like "U." If you mess up, it's okay because the side you draw on will be the inside!

Make sure to make it pretty big. I tried to make it as wide as possible, especially since you need extra fabric for the sewing. I think it was close to 6 inches wide at the fattest parts near both ends. Also, keep the inner part of the pillow wide enough to fit comfortably around your neck! Cut out your masterpiece and put it around your neck. If it is very close to your neck, I suggest doing some trimming. Remember, when you stuff the pillow, it is going to become very fat and wide; That would make me feel a little claustrophobic.

I know, I should have taken pictures, but I didn't think about it until after we had sewn it up!

After my grandmother sewed it up except for a 2-inch space on top and bottom of the middle of the pillow, I took a pair of scissors and made small slits all the way around on the extra fabric almost to the sewn thread. This helps with the curves of the pillow when you turn it right side out.

Now here's where my grandma got fancy on me. She took a sleeve and made overlapping flaps for the hole so your clothes (i.e. lacy unmentionables) can't be seen when the fabric pulls back from being stuffed! Is she a genius or what?

Here's the result:

What is in it right now: 4 pairs of underwear, yoga pants, two tank tops, and a light shirt. 

The "arm" portions are a bit heavy, but they are pretty stiff which I like. The back of the neck portion is softer and not as full, so I could actually fit more in there if I wanted.

 Could I fit a pair of jeans? Maybe if it was the only thing in there, but items like tshirts, tank tops, and other squishable items work best.

It is a bit lumpy, but the point of it is its efficiently, not looks!

My Grandma did such a great job! :)

xx

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles..and Métros.

Transportation methods other than a car, for me, is a scary thing. I lose what little control I had over the transporting device, and now leave my life in the hands of some other driver/pilot. Obviously, going to a foreign county without a vehicle at my disposal is going to be a little scary for me. Not to mention that I'll be by myself and lugging around 1 large suitcase, a carry-on, and a very heavy backback in Paris on my way to Limoges.

Fortunately, France is known for its public transportation, and I do have to say that I am happy to announce that I just bought my train ticket to Limoges! Forget Rail Europe and their expensive fees; Voyages-SNCF is the way to go! I got a FIRST CLASS ticket, front facing window seat for about $34 CHEAPER than the 2nd class unknown-seating I was going to be stuck with. And this is just a week from my trip! Imagine the kind of deals I could have gotten when it first became available!

Note: In my observation and research, train tickets are not like plane tickets; they do not fluctuate, but only go up in price the closer to the departure you get. And it goes to show you that you should try checking the country's actual rail network website before using other sites.

Now, figuring out how to get from point A to point B (and C, and D), can feel a little overwhelming, especially with the many options in Paris. Do I take a bus or the métro? RER? Which stop am I supposed to get off and switch? How far away is the hotel from the stop? How far is the train station from the bus/métro stop? Should I pick up a Paris Visite Zone 1-5 pass? Zone 1-3? Buy a carnet of tickets that won't work for the RER and pay extra? If I buy day passes, should I stay for an extra day and look around?

SO MANY QUESTIONS!

And of course, there's the paranoia of being alone..with a bunch of luggage..at night. Pickpocketing becomes more frequent at night because many have to meet a "quota," so I'd rather not take the métro so late with all that stuff.

Guess I need to invest in a hotel room now.

xx

P.S.
Have you traveled through France with their public transportation? Any advice for the rail passes, either train for métro?

Packing, Round 2.

At this point, I went through all of my clothes and put what I wasn't taking with me into boxes. From there, I re-organized the chaos (ignore the couch).

I think I may have found my problem. 

I love comfy pants!! I didn't realize that I had stuffed so many in the luggage while I was sorting out what I didn't want. Whoops.

I think it was my subconscious playing off of my homebodiness. There is seriously nothing better than staying indoors with a cup of tea and snuggling in bed all day while wearing comfy clothes!

But I need to branch out and not waste this time in France. I can come home in a year and stay indoors for two years to make it up if I need to!

So once I, ever so gloomily, choose a smaller selection of pj/yoga pants, and decide against some of the shoes and jewelry, I think I will be ready to try my hand at packing the suitcases and weighing them. And I'll make my list of what I finally pack.

Then if my luggage is still too heavy, I'll just cry.

xx

Banks

As you are probably aware, I've been researching banks like crazy. These are my findings so far, and I will be updating this post as I find out more. Please remember that this is as of August 2014. Rates and fees can and will change, especially as the world becomes more and more connected!

Navy Federal

Regular account is nothing special except no fees for having the account open. They do charge a $1 fee for using non-Navy Fed ATMs (and the ATM will charge you some fees), but have only a 1% currency exchange rate.

They also have e-checking and campus checking. These have ATM rebates, but only for the fee Navy Federal charges you, so you're still stuck shelling out cash for using the foreign ATMs, and it is only $20 or $10 rebates per cycle. Also, e-checking has a maintenance fee for having the account unless you have a direct despot going in, and campus checking is only until age 24. So basically, as a non-traditional student who will be 25 in January with no routine income, this did not work out for me.

Note: You or a family member (or maybe just someone in the same household?) must be part of the armed forces.

Bank of America

BoA might be my best bet for the least amount of charges for withdrawals without actually getting a bank account there (I don't even want to think about how much that would cost to transfer!).

Bank of America is part of a global banking alliance with several banks around the globe, including BNP Paraibas, a popular bank in France. Thanks to this alliance, BoA customers can withdrawal money from any BNP Paraibas ATM and will not be charged any fees except for a 3% exchange rate. At least, that's what I understood from their website.

As for their different accounts, I do know that their e-checking has no monthly fees as long as you don't go to one of their locations, essentially keeping it all online. For my first trip to France in 2008, I had a student banking account with Bank of America. That being said, I don't know if they have changed it, and I never paid attention to the fees, if i even used my card! I remember carrying around travelers checks. Let me just say, I'm kind of glad those are becoming obsolete.

Wells Fargo

Still looking into this one. It looks like they have international offices and talk about global things, but otherwise their website doesn't give much about their regular customers using their cards overseas, and the lady my family spoke with at the bank only refered us to their customer service number.

SECU

This bank only applies to North Carolina state employees and their families/roommates. They suckered the boyfriend into getting their Global Cashpoints card, when I am pretty positive that he could have just used his regular visa debit card. But whatever. They also told him that when you transferred the money to the card that you could do it in the currency you needed, which is completely not true. Definitely not my favorite bank, except that they do have amazing discounts on amusement parks.

Well, that's all I have for now! Let me know if there are any other banks that are worth looking into for international travel.

xx

P.S.

Does anyone know if I can get a RIB # for an American bank account?

Bag problems and the fix!

I found a carry-on 3-piece set for 75% off. It was amazing.

The good news: it fits the size regulations for JetBlue.

The bad news: it is too big for IcelandAir. :(

BUT during my investigation for seeing if I could take a book bag to use as my "+1 personal bag" since my laptop is 1) gigantic, and 2) heavy, I realized that I am allowed to take 2 checked luggage through IcelandAir for free! Woooooo! Mission has been saved! I just hope I have enough time to check it in before my flight to Iceland.

As for my investigation, I called JetBlue and they said as long as it fits under the seat, a book bag should be fine. The fun part will be if the person who I check in with at the airport is as nice.

Now, if I make it through the métro safely with all this luggage, I think I could do anything.

xx

The Aggravating Things

I'm a bit of a control freak. Okay, I'm a big control freak. I stress over just about everything, and planning to study abroad in a country that is so joie de vivre and not being supplied all of the necessary  information up front is driving me crazy. Here are a few things that are really causing me some anxiety:

- The dates for my institute are different from the calendar the Limoges University sent me. Classes are said to start 8 Sept, but my placement test isn't until the 16th, and classes start the 22nd for the institute. Is there a separate placement/language proficiency test for the regular classes? Who knows.

- UNCC records letter grades for study abroad classes, rather than pass/fail. Eep.

- No one has mentioned how I actually sign up for anything except for housing. Where do I register for classes? When?! How? Do I need a French bank acct so I have the proper RIB # and a chip-and-pin debit card? 

-Trying to figure out the cheapest method of exchanging currency. Would it be better to put my spending money into a French bank, or is it better to just pull out cash with my normal card and take that exchange fee?

- I have no clue what classes are available. The French university course system really confuses me.

- Instead of putting me in the dorms that are basically across the street from the Instistute, I've been put into a dorm that is a 40 minute walk, or a 30-50 minute bus ride from the institute. Um, not cool. I inquired about the other dorm twice, and mentioned that I would only be there for the French Institute, and they just say it isn't possible.

- I bought my airplane ticket at the beginning of June after I had gotten the calendar that said 4 September was orientation. Also, flights are expensive the closer you get to departure and the website I was using wouldn't let me reserve, and you have to have a plan for departure for your visa. I let someone know at Limoges when I was arriving in late August and they said that was rather early... Got an email last month saying that there was a 2-week immersion program that starts a few days before I will arrive. Early. My. Ass.

- The immersion program is 350€. Nope, not paying that kind of money. Not to mention I sent the lady an email (in French, mind you) asking two questions, and never heard back. Rude. I'll spend my free time adventuring and practicing my French the hard way- ordering food in a beautiful café and asking for directions.

-It seems like everyone has outdated information. Even the Office of Education Abroad, and they send at least one person there a semester. You'd think they would have more to go on if you get feedback from each student!

- Pages of the University and the Institute websites are 2-3 years old, especially on the English pages. (Maybe they should hire me to update their stuff)

xx

P.S.

Have you studied in France? If so, what were the hardest parts for you in terms of planning for your semester/year? How did you overcome them?

 

Sneaking Extra Clothes

The first suggestion people gave me for taking extra clothes was to wear layers and my heaviest boots. Um, sorry, but I live in North Carolina and it is summer. Thanks, but no thanks. I sweat bad enough in a tank top and pants!

Thankfully, through the wonderful world of Pinterest, I found this amazing idea at this blog:

I think this is a good solution for taking on those few extra pieces of clothing that just can't fit in your bag due to weight restrictions. Also, you can stuff an entire outfit in there just in case you get separated from your bag ( as might be the case with my carry on if it is too tall for IcelandAir. Eep).

Since I am going to be in Iceland for a night, which will be muuuuuch cooler than NC, I am going to stuff a sweater into my purse, which will also cushion my monster laptop. And when I say monster, it is a monster:

I'm talking 9lbs of gaming laptop action, with a screen larger than most cases can handle (or that I care to pay for).

Of course, it is also slightly too large for my purse (it barely fits and sticks out the top), but I just have to make it to Paris and then I'll sneak off to the bathroom or something and move it to my luggage.

Thank goodness the metro and trains don't have weight limits!

xx

P.S.

What are some of the ways you get around weight restrictions on flights?

Update

• Medication (allergies, etc.)

Called the doctor and my global health insurance. Fortunately, my doctor can prescribe in bulk, but my health insurance only wants me to bring 3 months worth and then get a refill in France. Oh joy. I know I should experience the French world, but I was looking forward to not having to attempt working the system for doctors and la pharmacie. 

• What to pack?!

Eh, still working on that. I'll make a post of everything when I've figured it out.

• Currency exchange/ continue researching different banks

I found 50€ from my brief trip 6 years ago ( oh my gosh it has been that long?!). For now I'll stick to that and when I get over there I'll pull out more from an ATM. 

As for looking at a new bank, it looks like I'm stuck with some sort of fee no matter what. I am, however, considering opening  an acct while I'm over there, but I'm concerned with the fees for transferring. So I guess there is more research to be done!

• Making copies of EVERYTHING

Still making copies.

• Figuring out what those dorm forms are saying..as far as I know, I could be giving away my first born for a room in the building I don't even want!

Still upset about the dorm, and still confused about the forms.

• Transportation from Paris to Limoges.

Sooo The Grand Trianon has an exhibition going on about the French Navy. I think that since school doesn't begin until a few days after I arrive, I'm going to go see it. I also have never been to Versailles Palace and I am definitely not missing out on this opportunity! I considered a rail pass, but it was a bit cheaper to go with just buying regular tickets.

• Buying adaptors/ universal surge protector

I have both of these on their way! The only bad part is that I can't try them out until I'm actually in France with my stuff plugged into them. 

--

Also, I got a strange package tracking email from FedEx... It took me a few minutes to think about what the heck it was, but I'm pretty sure it is my passport!

 The big question is whether my visa will be attached to it or not. I'm assuming because I didn't get a phone call that everything is good.

xx

P.S.

Have you had any experiences with using American bank cards in Europe? Did you find a way around the fees? And if you opened an account while there, what kind of process was it?

Packing Takes Practice

My flights will have me using Jet Blue and IcelandAir, and as I was making sure my luggage meets size requirements, I also realize that there is a weight limit for the carry-on. Uh oh. 

(Picture compliments of Yoav's blogspot)

I was already having problems getting the checked luggage under 50lbs. Now I have to get the carry on to about 20lbs.

So I'm a bigger girl, about size US 12-16, depending on the product. Also, I have some decent bust and wide feet. Sounds totally attractive, right? You bet it is (except maybe the feet, but we can't be perfect, now can we?).

Anyways, I have this fear that as much as I want to take empty suitcases and buy clothes in Europe, I won't be able to find anything to fit me! 

Which led me to spending a bit of my saved cash for new clothes and shoes here. As if I didn't have enough room or weight in my luggage as is.

And of course, now I'm in that teetering stage of "what if I do find stuff?!" I'm panicking.

 I'm already having packing issues as is:

 

And this is after I had donated at least two large trash bags full! 

I've also been setting aside more as I go through each pile, and trying on fall/winter clothes. I've made a strict rule that if I'm not comfortable in how they look, I won't take them, even if I feel like I might lose weight while I'm there (I know we all hoard those items). 

If that miracle happens (I mean, cheese, bread, and wine every day? I'll have to be rolled out to the bus stop by Christmas!), I'll either buy something new, or if it is something really expensive (denim), I'll make a list of items for my mom to ship me.

Surprisingly, my biggest purchases have been shoes. I've never considered myself a girly-girl when it comes to shoes, although my suitcases have proved otherwise.

Wide shoes are apparently difficult to find, so I went on a frantic hunt for comfortable yet stylish flats. I found these bad boys:

They're White Mountain brand, called Moondance. Found them at TJ Maxx. My sister said they are "rich, older white women shoes for long shopping trips." Hey, they are comfortable, cute, and if they are good for old lady feet, they are good enough for me and all the walking I'm going to do! 

The bad part is I really, really want to buy the other pair that are black and white. 

Maybe I am an old lady. Too bad I'm not rich, else I wouldn't bat an eye about paying baggage fees.

xx

P.S.

Any tips for packing for a year? How about finding "des vêtements grandes tailles" or wide shoes in France/Europe? Just...nothing too expensive.