I just talked to Clint Baldwin (the global studies director), which is always a frustrating experience because I feel like he never understands what I'm trying to tell him. I tried to convey to him that I want information about what to do when I get there, but all he suggested was that I have lunch once a week with the other girls who are going. Not helpful, and didn't answer the question. But I did find out some interesting things. I have to pay for my flight completely out of pocket, and Fox will reimburse me at the end of the semester when I get back. That's really frustrating because it's not like I have tons of money to just pay for stuff and then wait around to get reimbursed. I also have to pay for this thing called school that just so happens to be extremely expensive. So I need to facebook message my cousin who'll be in Germany to find out when I can leave to go visit her. I would have done this a long time ago had I known that I have to do it myself. But once again, Fox has completely SUCKED at communicating with me. So surprising.
Another thing is trying to figure out what I'm going to do while I'm there. I don't want to land in Charles de Gaulle airport with no clue where to go and what to do. Do I meet up with some one? Do I go straight to the hostel or should I go to La Sorbonne first? No one seems willing to give me any answers, and I don't know how to go about finding that out myself. I'll be fine once I get there, but I want to have a plan. I already feel like I'm drowning and I'm not even in France yet. Basically what Clint told me was that I have to realize that I might just get there and not know anything. But that seems completely unacceptable to me. How can they just send people to a foreign country and not provide anything after that? It seems reckless and stupid on their part. What if I get there and don't even make it to the hostel? Not that I'm worried that's going to happen, you'd just think they'd be more careful when people's LIVES are at stake. I'm tired of doing people's jobs for them, and I want some effing answers. It doesn't seem like too much to ask. Hopefully once I email Jacqueline later this afternoon she'll be able to give me some information.
Another thing that's frustrating is how much both Clint and Jacqueline (although I think she's just responding to Clint) are pushing me to connect with a church while I'm there. I already know what I want to do while I'm there: I want to attend mass on Sunday. France is predominately Catholic, it's a huge part of their culture, and that's one aspect of why I'm there, to understand their culture. So it's irritating when churches are brought up continuously in conversation. That is the LAST thing on my mind right now and I don't care what's available. Maybe he's worried French culture is going to make me a God-hating heathen. I'm not sure, and I think if I never attend church while I'm there, I'll still be ok. I just think that my spiritual journey is none of their business. They need to get their asses in gear to research the stuff that I mentioned earlier and stop giving me crap about where to attend church. I can go to church at Notre Dame for heaven's sakes. There are Cathedrals everywhere, it's not like they're hard to find. Sheesh.
On a lighter note, I got a letter from my grandma today, which made me really happy. I miss her a lot, more than I realize most of the time. I'm excited to see her in a few weeks when I go to California.