Contemplating being a stowaway.

I am about to do something very bitter-sweet this afternoon.

I volunteered to answer questions for the group of students who are preparing for the same study abroad trip I went on last year.

They leave in only one week (even sooner for some of them), and I am beyond jealous.

Last summer, I studied in Nantes, France for six weeks. It was the most incredible experience of my entire life, and I would do anything to relive my time there again.

I miss this place!

One of my favorite shopping areas near the tram stop "Commerce"

I must admit- I did have a bizarre and awkward living situation. I stayed with a single mom who had two adult sons. The oldest son lived outside the flat with his wife and son (all three of them were very kind, wonderful people), and the other son lived at home. This other son hated my friend and me. To make matters worse, our "mom" slept at her boyfriend's home every night and left us alone with this son. Scary! And to make matters worse than that, our dinners consisted of salad, tuna, and prepackaged pudding every night. We just about starved.

But it was still an amazing six weeks, and I was heartbroken to return to America.

I was also able to travel on the weekends while I was there and made it to Nice, Monaco, Switzerland, England, Belgium, Germany, and Italy.

Here we are in Paris on Bastille Day! We even got to watch President Sarkozy drive by during the parade, which was really awesome.

Making a wish in the Trevi Fountain in Rome (unlike Lizzie McGuire, I was not subsequently mistaken for an Italian pop star).

I get goosebumps whenever I think about my travels.

I just hope they don't ask budget questions today or something like, "How much money do you think you spent?"

Because my answer would be, "Ummmm...." followed by me trying to do the calculations and then possibly fainting when faced with a big, frightening number.

I suppose I could always answer, "Let's just say each of my credit cards was denied during my last visit to the Galleries Lafayette."

But what about all of you bloggers? Have you studied abroad or been somewhere that has stolen your heart?