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Last weekend in Minneapolis = success. Plus, contact info for abroad!

Hi friends,

I sit writing to you thirty minutes before the plane boards. Only one slight mishap so far. I zoomed through security, only to sit down at the gate to write this post and SNAP! There goes the strap on my dress, completely off. Bad omen? I'm not sure. It forced me to buy a sewing kit (which of course I didn't pack), so fortunately this happened to me now, and not when a sewing kit wasn't in twenty feet of me.

Yours truly, 2 1/2 hours before takeoff.

This weekend has been a whirlwind, which I will briefly describe:

Friday was spent in the car, driving from Kansas to Minnesota with my parents. It's not a bad route- just a straight shot up I-35. The last time I did this drive with my parents was in August 2009, when I first moved to Minneapolis to go to the University of Minnesota. The first time I did it was from 2002, when I went to Spanish immersion camp in Bemidji. It seems like driving up to Minnesota with parents usually signifies a new chapter in my life- first time away from home, going off to college, now my international adventure. Pretty cool- I wonder if this drive will happen again, and in what capacity?

Saturday morning consisted hauling all of my things out of my apartment, packing them into a U-Haul, and unloading them into a storage unit off of Como and 280. You think you've done soooo well at paring down your stuff and acting all minimalist until you start moving. I'm eternally grateful to my parents for being so helpful- honestly could not have done it without them. Four hours and three sweaty, grumpy people later, everything's packed away neatly and we're sitting down to deeeelicious lunch at El Taco Riendo. Saturday afternoon was a lot of down time for the parents, a lot more cleaning and apartment stuff for me. We ended up at Black Sheep Pizza for dinner (Dad's favorite) and I drove them down to Minnehaha Falls, which they have never been to. It's some of the little things you take for granted in Minneapolis, like the Falls, that you never think to show visitors.

Early Sunday morning we trekked over to Hard Times before Mom and Dad drove home. I fulfilled one of the last items on my bucket list by ordering glorious migas. The rest of the day consisted of marching at Pride, eating at Brasa, unpacking my backpack, packing it again, and last minute chats and phone calls before heading to the airport. Finally on my way!

I'm hoping the camp (Le Saut Du Loup) has Wi-Fi, so I can update you all soon.

In the meantime, the camp does have a mailing address, so if you feel like dropping me a line, I'd love to hear from you. When I went to Spanish camp, my grandpa sent me a care packing with chocolate, crackers and those Babybel cheeses with the little red wax covers. Definitely not necessary- a postcard would suffice :)

Sophie Wallerstedt
American Village
La Bergerie du Saut du Loup
47800 MIRAMONT DE GUYENNE
FRANCE

I'll definitely be there the entire month og July.

My phone will not work abroad, but I will be on WhatsApp and Skype (my username is sophie_wallerstedt).

And, if you haven't yet, please subscribe to my blog so you don't have to check Facebook/this page for updates! You can type in your email in the top left corner- you'll get an email that will require you to verify your email address.

I don't have much else to say at this point, except THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me in my decision to do this. Thanks for the trip advice, the borrowed stuff, taking care of my things while I'm gone, all the warm feelings as I head out. I can't thank you enough.

Love,

Sophie

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