So I have been here for about 3 weeks now, and all is going pretty well. I have finalized my courses at the institute, and I've decided to take Philosophy, specifically existentialism, something I didn't plan on taking, and I really like it!

I also started my internship today, with GRAIN, the grande initiative in Avignon, a non profit organization that works with people who want to start their own businesses. They work with micro-credit and other forms of financial aid, as well as providing business, legal, and financial guidance. I was beyond scared to start, after a very somber, scary first meeting with my boss, but I think it went pretty well today. I needed to realize anything I do correctly, or anything I understand is a plus, and they'll be impressed, rather than me thinking I'm "under performing" because I'm not working in my native tongue.

Last weekend was a lot of fun. The institut brought us to the Camargues, the region in the South of France, known for their horses, bulls, and flamingos. Afterwards we went to a small town, Sainte Maries de la Mer. It was great! I spent most of my day in the beach, and swimming in the Mediterranean. There were bull fighting arenas there, a tradition still alive in the south of France, and I wanted to go, but our bus was leaving a half hour after it started. Maybe another time.........

All and all things are going pretty well. School is school. It's definitely challenging, not only because of language, but because the classroom etiquette is different, and a lot of work is required. But I figure what doesn't kill me, doesn't kill me, or as some would say, "makes me stronger", but in the end I'm sure I will have become a beast at French, and will have been glad that I didn't have some totally lax semester abroad, like most americans do.