With half of my friends going abroad, and half of my friends staying in New Orleans it’s easy to see why I would feel torn between France and it’s old colonial territory of Nouvelle Orleans – isn’t it? My feelings of regret for exploring the world are shared with many of my friends – some of whom have left and others of whom are still trying to fit just one more pair of shoes into an already about-to-explode suitcase. International Brat Syndrome, as we have termed it, is best characterized by feelings of self-pity, frequent visits to “MyTulane” and an almost constant repetition of the phrase: ‘do you know what it means, to miss New Orleans?’ on almost every social networking site known to the college population.

It’s clearly a testament to Tulane that I would feel pangs of jealousy even at the thought of moving stranger’s boxes up Monroe’s 12 floors, by foot, in 98 degree New Orleans heat, just to be side by side with my New Orleans crew. In fact, until now, Move-In Day has never sounded so good – and that’s saying something, considering last year I got a drawer full of free Tulane t-shirts.

The only word to describe this feeling – about to embark on a 5 month voyage into French society – is bittersweet. Someone once said that “where ever you go, there you are.” And there is validity to that. But I can’t help but think that while I may be only physically in one place, my heart can be in many. And while New York will always have a piece of it, New Orleans and Tulane have more than earned the piece of me that I’m leaving there this Fall. Still, I am more than excited to get to France and spend the next 5 amazing months of my Junior year as a resident of it’s countryside. I’m so excited that I feel like I am an embodiment of my packed-to-the-brim suitcase: about to burst at the seams but trying to fit just a little bit more in everyday.

(Our attempt to spell “TULANE” really fell apart at the “N”…)