Study Abroad!!!!!!!

    Dear reader,
I forgot to mention that winter semester I was accepted to go on a study abroad to Paris(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). I am in the airport, enjoying the free wifi, waiting to board the plane that will whisk me away from the American continent. Because I wanted some extra time abroad, I've left two weeks early to go visit relatives and tour around! SO, here's the next adventure: England.
Love,
Hailey

So, I had thought for 3 months I had packed pretty lightly, but my suitcase had a weight problem and I had to take out some of my books and put them in my back-up bag. This is very distressing to me because I was hoping to travel as lightly as I did in South Africa. However, because I am going for 3 months and I have to pack for weather ranging from summer to winter, I have ended up with lots more than I have ever traveled with before--scary!

Sooooo much luggage!

Also, our group is doing some touring around before classes start so we also needed to bring a small travel bag (hence the back-up bag). My grand plan was to put the travel bag into the big one like a babushka doll, but again it weighed too much so I am having to lug that with me on the plane. I am not very excited to wrestle it onto a coach (a big bus) once I land in London! Here is my plan: fly to Atlanta then to Heathrow airport and then take a coach to the first relative I am visiting in Kenilworth.
       Unfortunately, my flight to Atlanta just got canceled and thus I get to wait an extra 4 hours at the Salt Lake City airport and then will fly to Paris and then to London--a little preview! Sitting at the gate for the Paris flight is super! Most of the people are French and it is so beautiful to hear them speak! I am so super excited to get my French to a point of being comprehensible! I have been reading books all summer to get ready and hopefully all of the culture, advice, and skills I've learned will subconsciously kick in.

     The flight was long, but not as long as the one to South Africa! There was a super nice French couple next to me and the lady kept looking over my shoulder while I was doing some french grammar practice books and correcting me--loved it! I thought I was doing pretty well at not looking touristy...but as the journey wore on and I got more tired I got clumsier and clumsier. My misdemeanors include: tripping someone with my bag, running over someone's child, spilling my water on the plane, shooting my eraser at someone, shooting my pencil at someone, saying "sorry" to an excessive degree, and hogging a corridor with my bag. American tourist. Well, better luck next time?