preparation.

Last ten days before departure.

I feel ready to leave.

Acquired visa.
Bought (and re-bought) plane ticket.
Finished work.
Saw best friend.
Received lovely mix from a friend with impeccable taste entitled "Music for France (and her times in between)".
Have a clear idea of the classes I need to take and a vague idea of the classes I am going to take.
Looked up bands that will be in Lille during the next couple of months (Morrissey!, Placebo and Massive Attack, and Gérald Genty will be touring l'hexagone throughout the Fall so I am sure I could catch him somewhere).
Connected to the réseau social for Lille 3 and sent messages to several other exchange kids who will be there.
Scoured the internet (unfruitfully) for pictures of my dorm, Résidence Triolo, because I am REALLY excited to move in.
Looked into buying a secondhand bike when I get there and came across http://www.marche.fr, wonder if it's reliable?
Notified two different coordinators of my arrival in Lille and hope that the lack of response isn't as bad as it seems. They are on vacation...right?

Official date of arrival: September 2, Charles de Gaulle, bright-and-early AM. On the third we have a language test and registration for classes followed by a week of intensive language courses. Thank god for that. As departure is sneaking up on me I am getting more and more nervous about my French. Whenever I talk to an ISEP student who will be arriving on the ninth as opposed to the first or second, I can't help but think "Oh no, is this person's French really so good that they just don't even want the free intensive language classes?" However it is also possible they made the same mistake I did and bought their tickets according to the dates that were originally given to us back in May (and were revised in mid July) and didn't want to pay to get them changed (it's not cheap).

More immediately I have to start focusing on packing, which seems a daunting task but also a fun challenge... to prepare myself for an entire (academic) year! I think it's laundry time...