The Calm Before

9:01 pm. Brentwood, TN, USA. My bedroom floor.

My dear friends, family, Carnegie ex-residents, neighbors, Stars, professors, Maryvillians, Heifer Farm friends, and internet strangers,

Welcome to my blog! I am very excited to have finally started it. For the next 5 months, I'll do my best to document my experience studying abroad at L'Université de la Réunion in St. Denis on the island of La Réunion. For my Google Earth impaired readers, it's a tiny island (duh) about half the size of Rhode Island a few hundred miles east of Madagascar. It is an overseas department of France. It has all of the power that a regular French department has, it's just on the other side of the world. One could compare it to Hawaii- still American, just a slightly different culture. I will be there to study French and take a few classes towards my Sociology and Environmental Studies majors.

I depart tomorrow at 2pm. I fly from Nashville to Miami to Paris. Then, I have a layover in Paris for 12 hours (Eiffel Tower and a bottle of wine, please!). Then, I leave Paris for Réunion and arrive there almost 48 hours after leaving Nashville. I've never left the country, let along flown to another hemisphere, so this should be an experience to say the least. I'll do my best to put up pictures and post as often as necessary. I am so excited to be finally leaving!

I am making my mom delay our trip to the airport until after the Inaugural Speech. I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about leaving the USA at this time in history. I am very happy with whom we've elected to serve as our President. However, I can't help but feel like I'm almost deserting at a time with unprecedented levels of unity and patriotism. At least the last time they were close to this, it was September 11th. I am thankful my generation can experience those same feelings under more joyful pretenses. Anyway, I was watching the inaugural coverage on TV all day as I packed. Hearing the comments of my fellow Americans really made me understand how much is riding on the next four, possibly eight years. I also texted with a few of my friends who are currently in D.C. I am jealous of you all. Remember this time in history, and tell me all about it when I come back. :) I hope that in the next few months, President Obama is blessed with courage to make the hard decisions. I hope he has the grace to face our country and tell us the truth. I hope that he and his beautiful family are kept safe. Most importantly, I will pray that Americans have the patience to endure the hard recovery we have ahead. Neither past mistakes, nor current crises nor future unknowns should be strong enough to shake our belief in our democracy. I look forward to news of newfound American prosperity in the months ahead.

When I get settled, I'll be sure to post an address, although no guarantees on how economical it will be to send me anything. Please don't let that deter you :). My email address will remain the same: chelsea.barker@my.maryvillecollege.edu. I'm on Skype, too. My cell won't be turned on, so don't plan on calling or texting.

A bientôt (until next time),
Chelsea