“Salut! Tu viens de où?”

Yesterday, I moved from Tours to Strasbourg. The question above, a casual, “Hi, where are you from?” pretty much summed up my evening. I boarded a train from St. Pierre de Corps station in Tours, France and took a few hours ride to Strasbourg, France, right next to Germany, if you look at a map:

Saying goodbye to my host mom Sylvie was sad, but as she left, she told me how she thinks I will do great in my new city, at the university, and in my new host family. I didn’t realize it then, but once I arrived in Strasbourg, it became clear to me what a home I had created in Tours, and how it felt like my home away from home in just one month.

 Sylvie and I at Chateau de Villandry. Gonna miss her!

The traveling wasn’t too bad… well, it was kinda bad. Taking the journey tout seul (alone) was a great experience, but challenging at times. Once I arrived at the Paris station for my change of trains, it was clear to me that this would not be easy, as the station I wanted to arrive at was closed on my line of the metro. So after a lot of emotional distress and asking people where to go, I finally arrived (on time!) at my station (thank you, Gare de l’Est) and got on my train. It was so nice to meet many French people who generously helped me bring my bags up and down the many stairs of the metro stops- so cool to see that kind of caring when everyone seems so wrapped up in their world.

Arriving in Strasbourg, I met my host brother Thomas. My host family is on vacation, so it was me and Thomas for the day, a day filled with me basically freaking out that I was in Strasbourg for at least 4 months and not liking that very much. Dinner helped though, at 9pm, Thomas made pasta for me and three of his friends. There’s where the question comes in. Listening and speaking French with Thomas and his friends was a very cool experience. They spoke so fast, though, so I didn’t understand their conversation, but when we spoke to each other it was a lot better. It was the first time I had been around French people my age, and it was a great time!

So, most of the HC students, 14 of us, have left Tours for Strasbourg, but Tom (you can check out his blog!) is staying another week before departing for Dijon, so we already miss him!

So, that’s what’s new in my world. Hopefully my brain calms down after a week or so (Sylvie always said the first week is the hardest) and I get acclimated here. Until then, see you soon!

Love and Peace~

Jessica

PS Another bright side to the metro travel: my arms actually got a work out.

Greetings from the City of Light!

Last weekend, I took my first “voyage” since arriving- me and a group of students from HC took to the TGV train and arrived in Paris! After a little confusion about the apartment we rented for the weekend (ask Erin about Air B&B and be prepared to die), we were sitting in front of the Eiffel Tower, mere minutes from where we were staying. The trip was incredible and really allowed me to see that I could (and will!) travel alone (rather, with friends) and be able to go places I have previously only dreamed of going.

(Sacre Coeur, Macaroons from Ladurée, Me with Claude Monet’s Pont de Giverny in Musée D’Orsay)

The second night of being in Paris (after seeing amazing monuments and eating delicious food), Tom, Erin, and Mary prepared a dinner for us (don’t worry, the rest of us got the dessert =D) and brought it to the Eiffel Tower. Our picnic was picturesque! And after we were done dividing dessert, we just sat there and talked. It was the most ‘real’ and deep conversation I’ve had here since coming to France and it quite literally made my trip. Being vulnerable and honest with people you hope to be close with is a scary but awesome experience. Sitting with friends in front of the Tower, especially when it started twinkling at 10pm… it was surreal.

I have longed for YEARS- for as long as I’ve been taking French (since I was… 12?), to be in France and to see the Eiffel Tower. I’ve wanted to see this, to be here. And it kinda shook me a little, making me realize that sitting there was important to me and my life- more than just a bucket-list item. At dinner on Sunday night, my host mom Sylvie was asking about my trip and I was telling her how long I’ve wanted to see the monument. And she said “et le rêve est réalisé!” which means, “and the dream was realized!” And that’s stuck with me because, I’m doing it. I’m going for these dreams.

Love and Peace~

Jessica

Greetings!

It’s official: 2 weeks in! Definitely a lot of things going on in my head. I want to talk about the transition to France, today, as it is definitely still happening, but two weeks in, I’ve had enough France-living to talk a little bit about it!

Leaving for France was crazy. Getting on the plane, the whole navigating-the-trains thing and not calling my mom thing, and the many hours traveling- those were fun (not). But meeting my host mom Sylvie at the train station and immediately being launched into French- that was scary and exhilarating. What a feeling to finally make it to France and actually realize a goal/dream. You know those bucket lists or life goals lists you make I made one in Mr. Liberti’s high school freshman history class and one of the first things I put down  was to travel to France (along with ride a camel, but that’s beside the point). Now I was here. And it was awesome.

It still is incredible. But the first week’s adrenaline has worn off (as Erin would say) and it’s a tad bit tougher. France is beautiful and I love being here, but learning French is hard and overwhelming (will I ever understand what the neighbors are saying? Feelin’ doubtful). And it’s exhausting to be doing this. I find myself wishing I was home sometimes, because home isn’t so hard (and I can speak without thinking about every word before I say it). But then I sit down to a dinner with my host family and my host brother mentions that I laugh a lot and I realize I’m pretty happy. Or I meet someone friendly from another country (or US state!) or have a real conversation with HC friends in a cathedral, and I realize it’s not so bad. Or when I’m literally singing in the streets with my host mom for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary this weekend and I know God will get me through. These are the moments that exist so that I know it’s all good, that this is just part of the ride.

So, bring it on week 3!

Friends!! Renata (next to me in the maroon) is an HC student and the others are international students, too!

(Renata’s photo above)

 Me being dramatic and imitating a statue (yup, still going)

(also Renata’s skills above)

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres! (This is where Mary, Renata, and I chatted!<3)

Candlelight Procession for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary! 9pm procession followed by mass on Friday night!

Love and Peace,

Jessica Read the rest of this entry »

Friends-

Here are some pictures!

Tours, France has this amazing cathedrale alongside lots of other Catholic churches that are so unbelievable pretty and perfect for me to stare at for way too long.

C’est la Pont de Pierre sur la Loire. Pont= bridge, and the Loire is river in this region of France known for it’s chateaus (castles!). This photo was taken by yours truly my third or fourth night in France! Since we walk everywhere, this is only 2o minutes from my host mom’s apartment.

Chateau Chenonceau! So beautiful! And the weather was wonderful, too! On the right is me and my friend Efi in front of the castle- photo credit to Renata or Quynn (who both rock for being our photographers!).

And lastly…

Mont Saint Michel- an abbey and cathedral on an island in Normandy! Amazing!!! Took us 4 hours from Tours to get to Normandy, but it was definitely worth it. In the same trip we saw Saint Malo, an area damaged by WWII but rebuilt and now is pretty cool. Here’s a picture of the beach there!

Et c’est tout! That’s all! Until next time!

Love and Peace~

Jessica

I am Studying Abroad. In France. For months.

I was on the way home from St. Mont Michel (I need to show you a picture… awaiting that) and I starting thinking about traveling, eating, souvenirs… Money. And that was pretty scary because, in general, we college students don’t have a lot of it. But what really got me was that this train of thought made me look a little longer term… and made me realize a bit more than before that I’d be gone for a while.

I. Am. Studying. Abroad.

Making the decision to go the France was difficult. I think I always knew in my heart that I would go, but it made me anxious in a whole new way. Spending a week in France made me realize France is beautiful and that it’s fun playing the student. That bus ride made me realize that this isn’t vacation… I’m here for the long haul. So, as the week wraps up (I’ve been here 7 days!) I am a little more aware of the fact that this is not my summer break but rather the start of my junior year, and that’s terrifying but exciting. Honestly, I’m putting this all in God’s hands with the knowledge that He’s got me.

Speaking of God, for those who don’t know, my faith plays an integral part in my life. But I’ll bet many of you can imagine me as I walked down a French street after lunch with my friend Erin and told her that I needed two things: “chocolate, and a church.” Well, St. Martin’s Basilica fulfilled the real need in my heart- they have adoration daily and the Basilica is beautiful! I really value coming to the realization that there are things from home that are much too important to leave behind, but they can be changed slightly or looked at differently, while still being just as important.

Anyway, stay tuned!

Love and Peace~

Jessica

Sooooo, guess who made it to Tours, France without any major meltdowns?!

I’m here!! And it was a wild journey to be able to say that: this was my first time traveling (big traveling, at least) on my own, and it probably showed. I had two nice flights, got to see Iceland from a plane as our layover was in Reykjavik, and flew into Paris, stepping foot in France for the first time in my life. Immediately, the French was everywhere, which freaked me out, but we were able to figure out where to catch the train (which I almost missed) and traveled to Le Mans to switch to another train (which I also almost missed) to Tours. There, I met my host, Sylvie, who drove me back to her apartment.

Settling into a host family’s home is a strange experience. I won’t lie, for me, it’s straight awkwardness. My host is wonderful, but when I can’t quite have a conversation without a few questioning looks and dramatic pauses on my end, it’s a little hard to feel comfortable. However, Sylvie, who has been hosting students for 15 years, totally understands that and keeps telling me that the first week is the hardest. She is wonderful at making me feel welcome and not dumb (which is a relief) and is also a good cook! I have a host brother as well, who studies French at another institute in the city. Breakfasts and dinners are had together and no matter my concerns about living there, I always find myself smiling into my salad and so grateful to be sitting at that table.

My favorite thing so far (I remind you, it’s been not even 3 days) is looking out a window or at a beautiful building and telling myself, “I’m in France.” I have been dreaming about coming here since I started French in the 6^th grade and now I’m finally here, up to my neck in French (maybe drowning, just a little) and walking to class every morning to the sights of historic buildings, old apartments, and cobblestone streets. I’ve gotten lost 4 times, added English words into my French quite a bit, and have started sentences I can’t finish more times than I will say. But this is so far an incredible learning experience… and I’ve only been here for two full days. Crazy. Tomorrow, we are taking an excursion to a Chateaux. Yup, there are even castles here.

Pictures to come so you can picture yourself in my shoes (which have already given me blisters…)!

But let me end with a few pieces of advice I’ve learned in the past three days:

• When your plane lands in France, call your mom. Even if you don’t have wifi (wee-fee as the French would say) and need to use data for a million dollars, do it, trust me. (Sorry mom!)
• You’re gonna sound like a 7 year old speaking, just embrace it and keep going. As Sylvie would say, the best way to learn the language is to speak it as much as possible.
• Look around. I’m in France.

Hey Friends!

Well, here we go- 4 days until my flight leaves Logan Airport in Boston. And the sad part (and kinda scary part) is that I am so unprepared it’s not funny. I do have the necessities- visa, passport, plane and train ticket, but the packing, the cell phone and money arrangements, the necessities I need to bring… yeah I haven’t gotten there yet. So I write to you from my couch, T- 4 days to go, resisting the urge to stress-eat everything in my house, in efforts to give you a realistic look at my life pre-France by answering a few questions that everyone asks me when I tell them I’m leaving for France.

Are you fluent in French?

Nope. Have I studied it for a while, yes, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to forget everything as soon I get there. However, I do know enough to be able to speak to my fellow classmates, so hopefully I’ll muddle through for a while!

Are you living at the University?

No, ma’am! I am living with two different host families- first in Tours for the first month, I will be living with a single woman who works as an aide to the elderly. In Strasbourg, it’s the family I spoke about before (EIGHT children). I will live at their houses and eat breakfast and dinner with them in efforts to become one of the family.

Are you excited?

Yes! But sooooo nervous. I’m afraid of living with strangers, of sounding and feeling like an idiot, of being super overwhelmed. However, I hear a whole lot at Holy Cross that the decisions that push me out of my comfort zone are those that will be most rewarding.

I wish I did that when I was your age…

So go! I know it seems super crazy impossible, but this is your life! Think about your priorities, save some money, and do what you really want to do.

Hereeeee we go!

See you soon Tours, France!

Love and Peace,

Jessica

Bonjour!

I sit here, writing for the first time about my impending trip to Strasbourg, France, for the fall semester (as of right now) of my junior year. I am excited! But honestly, I’m super super scared and pretty much in denial that I am, in fact, traveling to France in two weeks to begin the adventure of a lifetime. Ha. Ha. Ahhhhhhhh.

Let me introduce myself, first! My name is Jessica Vozella, I am a Religious Studies Major, French Minor from Wakefield, Massachusetts. I have been (and hope to continue being!) a Resident Assistant, and an Orientation Leader, and am heavily involved in the Chaplains’ Office. I am super excited to blog for Holy Cross as it will give me a chance to relay my experiences to those who care to read- loved ones, friends, and people I’ve yet to meet! And so I have to thank you for taking this time to read my life in the form of blog posts. I also am psyched to write this blog because it gives me a chance to do something I love- reflect on my experiences. So, here we go, I guess!

In my preparations for France, I have gone to the French Consulate (that was an adventure, I ended up going on a French holiday, Bastille Day, which provided some challenges) for my visa, bought some scarves, and booked a flight to Paris. It’s hard to believe I’ll be in a different country, (making attempts at) speaking French, living in an apartment with a French family, studying in French. Honestly, the most daunting part of this endeavor is the French… which is pretty much in everything. Yes, I’ve studied French for too many years, but no, I am not fluent and pretty nervous as far as communication goes. However, I am excited to meet my host family, who has written me describing the family- a family of 10!- and I am truly blessed to be entering a family who shares some of my core values- namely, my catholic faith- and is excited to welcome me to their home.

Anyway, enough for now! So excited to share this journey with you!!

Love and Peace,

Jessica