“You’re Off to Great Places! You’re Off & Away!”

Lace & Lilacs

“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!”

– Dr. Seuss (Oh, The Places You’ll Go!)

I suppose I’ve been avoiding composing a post, a wordy, thought provoking post, that is, for quite some time now… perhaps it was (is?) writer’s block – though I believe you must actually be a writer to truly suffer from that condition -, perhaps my hectic schedule and jetlag encouraged this odd sort of neglect. Oh, and self-doubt has certainly played a part in my dilemma. I read heaps of elegant, poetic paragraphs and essays online each day, and wonder if my petty work will ever be as lovely… or relevant, for that matter.

My recent experiences ought to be recorded, however, whether or not the prose is fluid and graceful. So! Shall I recap these past few days for you all… and, of course, for my future self. Let’s not forget a thing, Abby. 🙂

My mother and I arrived in France on the morning of August nineteenth… goodness, has it really been that long? Within the day I’d decorated my room in the apartment, and photographed the neighborhood, of course.

Since then I’ve experimented a bit with film cameras, picked up a bit more basic French, and met the first of my two roommates.

To say that the language barrier has been a struggle would be an understatement… Now, I’ve traveled all over the world, to many, many places where English is not the native tongue. But I’ve never wanted to speak a language the way I want to speak French. It is immensely frustrating. Is this how young children feel? Babies that can’t properly communicate, and therefore cry and cry… Maybe. (Though I haven’t yet cried; don’t worry. 😉 )

My roommates are British and therefore speak English (duh), and every class I’ll be attending will be taught in English… but I just really, really want to speak French. So badly.

I’m in the right place, then, yes? Though, I’ve never had much of a knack for languages. Despite being raised by a mother fluent in Spanish and taking over a decade of lessons at school, I can barely string together two sentences in conversation. Writing it is simpler, but my grammar is atrocious.

Anyways, I digress. Wish me luck, all.

I guess the point of these nonsensical rambles is: I’m off and away! Today is my day! (I just love Dr. Seuss.)

Am I totally ready? Ah, I don’t know. I’m not not ready. (Yes, I understand that double negatives are incorrect, but I kind of heart them.) So, we shall see.

I have heaps of photographs to share with you; they’ll be posted soon!

xoxo,

Abby

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10 comments on ““You’re Off to Great Places! You’re Off & Away!””

  1. I love that quote! Ready or not, you are in Paris and living a dream. French is difficult (I took classes for three years in high school) but you’ll pick it up eventually, and more quickly since you’re now immersed in it! Be patient with yourself, you are getting there ;).

  2. aw this is such an exciting new adventure! and don’t worry, I’m sure the French will come! (I’m terrible at French–but I think that has a lot to do with the pronunciation, I’m pretty great at Spanish and Italian lol)

  3. Oh Abby, I am so happy you decided to sit down and share your thoughts today. Your Dr. Seuss quote is so fitting. Here are my thoughts: You are a writer when you say you are a writer. Whether your words and thoughts will be met with accolades and great success, who knows? But you are a writer until the day you say, “I’m not a writer.”
    Honing our crafts takes constant practice and putting out work that might not be the best thing ever. As long as I am learning and growing I consider I am successful. Self-doubt can certainly be paralyzing. What I focus on is expressing and staying true to my voice. The evaluation of my work is up to my audience. Easier said than done, of course. Thanks for sharing your world with us today, Abby.
    “Today is your day”
    xo

  4. I love these “stream of consciousness” posts! I’ve definitely been feeling a bit of a writer’s block, or rather, blogger’s block. Recently I wrote my first post in almost two weeks :O Coming back to school has been rather hectic, but once things start kicking off and I get into the swing of things, I think I’ll be able to work blogging consistently back into my schedule 🙂

    Dr. Seuss is great. My friends and I were jamming, and at one point, my friend started strumming random chords to make a song, and we each had our turn reading from a book and using it as our lyrics, so I guess we were singing the book 😛 Dr. Seuss books are great books to sing to. If ever you decide that’s what you feel like doing haha

    -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s

    • Hahah, thanks, Audrey! I can’t WAIT to see all of the lovely things you blog about this fall. Being a sophomore must be so great… freshman year (while still totally fun) is full of uncertainties and confusion.
      And ooh, I actually LOVE that creative Dr. Seuss idea. Though I’m not much of singer, hahah… :/
      xo!

  5. Dr Suess is the ultimate quotable <3
    It's so lovely to hear your honest thoughts from the heart abby – they make gorgeous posts!
    Bit by bit you'll chip away at the language and before you know it, you'll be dreaming in it! 😛
    Hope all is well
    xx