american dream

Blackberry bushes in the backyard
A white picket fence
Children running through the halls
Deep blue shutters
A room full of books
PhD diploma on the wall.

just wanted to tell you

Dearest friends with blogs,

Sometimes I try to comment on your posts, and I get an error message. And then I forget to try commenting again later. And it looks like I never read anyone's blog.
BUT. Actually I read them all religiously, every single post. So keep writing!
That is all.

Your quasi-French friend,
Katie

inception

mind. blown.

but it's okay because becky will get to wear it

The other day I saw a black, three tiered fringe dress at H&M, and I knew I had to buy it.

It was screaming really hot latin dress to me.

Except I don't have any plans to compete latin next year...or possibly ever again.
But I bought it anyway.

And then tried it on in my warm, warm room and cha-chaed around.
I guess you can the girl out of the ballroom, but you can't take the ballroom out of the girl...?

like the ocean needs the waves

Sometimes, I just feel so overwhelmed with the knowledge of how little I know. There are so many interesting subjects out there! Today I've had wikipedia pages open on Leon Trotsky, Frida Kahlo (have been reading The Lacuna, Barbara Kingsolver's latest novel), Richard Feynman, quantum electrodynamics, quantum computers, standard model, path integral formulation (just finished reading Six Easy Pieces, a book about basic physics by Richard Feynman). There are so many classes I still want to take. Computer programming, social dance teaching methods, French phonetics, linear algebra, differential equations, the advanced quantum class, kinetics, spectroscopy, French and Italian cinema, ballroom and latin theory, etc etc. And then there are all of the books I haven't read! So many classics, so many church books, so many novels, so many scientific publications, oh my gosh. 

So many publications I haven't written. So many presentations I haven't given. So many classes without A's. 

I suppose that is what I keep going back to. 

I worked so hard in high school so I could have as many opportunities as possible for college. And it paid off.

I just hope I didn't throw it all away in the meantime...? 

Grad school makes me nervous.

The end.

Guys, can I just say I love America?

If I've learned one thing from being in Europe it's that I love my country.

Thank you to all of those who have served the United States in protecting our freedom. 

Happy, happy, happy 4th of July!

photo from the American cemetery in Normandy

breathe

Today I am doing much better. My mom put me back together and did everything she could to make this transition easier. And never once has she reminded me that I brought this upon myself nor has she given me the "this is a such a great opportunity!" speech, which I greatly appreciate. We met with Florence, my contact at Les Petits Freres, where I'll be working starting tomorrow (!), and she was very nice and I think I'll be just fine here.

And maybe there's a chance I could leave a week early.

And maybe I'd be totally okay with that.

:P

nope nope nope

My hair color gives me away before I even open my mouth.*

Thinking this makes me feel immediately better. Maybe if I package all of my fears into little short sentences I can hide them under the bed of this Ibis hotel and forget about the fact that I am still not even at the half way mark.

Here I am in Toulouse, with a suitcase I can’t lift and mascara that won’t stop running.

Take me home. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.

*French people, besides never straightening their hair, also never dye it blonde. and there are very few natural blondes here.