May

ALMOST TO 1,000 VIEWS PEOPLE, how awesome ❤ Thank you so so much for all of the support during the last few months. A huge shout out to my followers and loved ones. I could not have done it without you!

Hey everyone! Sorry it has been so long since my last update but no need to fear, I will fill you in 🙂 If you did not already know I am back home in Kansas now, arrived in the States Friday, May 16th. I believe the last blog I wrote was the beginning of my last week in the lovely city of Paris. It actually flew by in many aspects. For almost every meal, other than breakfast, I had plans with my fellow ERASMUS friends. It was a great time getting together with everyone and having one last hoorah before venturing back home. I happened to be the first person to leave Paris. I finished my exams the day before I came home, Thursday the 15th. Most people had exams until the beginning of June but I got lucky with classes I guess, plus it all worked out in my benefit because I am now back and mostly settled in until I start classes next week and move next weekend. So let's start from the beginning.

I spent my last weekend in Paris preparing for exams and prepping for packing which I would begin later on in the week. Seeing as how my dormitory is only around 80 square feet I tried to hold off cluttering it up as long as possible 😉 That Monday I relaxed and then Tuesday I had 2 exams. Wednesday I spent most of the day packing and ridding of things I could not bring back with me, such as all my cookware, food and all of that. Thursday I had another exam and finished packing just in time to head out early Friday morning. It felt nice to be done with school especially because in Paris it just so happened to be a lot more work than what I was used to back in the States. Although that did not last long because I got out of my last class Thursday evening and then I was rushed into making sure I had the last 4-5 months of my life ready to make its venture back home.

Friday morning rolled around and I left my dormitory with 3 hours until departure, it took me about 50 minutes on the train to get to CDG airport. Here I am lugging around 3 bags probably weighing a grand total of well over 100 pounds, phew am I glad that is over! Once I arrive at the airport I am confused on where to go so it takes me a bit until I finally get in the right spot to check my bags and be on my way. Little did I know that Parisian airport guidelines back home were a little more strict than coming from the states. Ended up paying a whopping $200+ just to check my 2 bags. By this time all I wanted to do was get them checked and home safely because not much I can "arrange" or do about having 4-5 months of my life packed in 2 bags! Got that done and made my way to Border Patrol and THEN security, what a pain in my arse lol. Hurried to the gate, got my Starbucks drink and was on my way to 11E. I must say I was so relieved to sink down in my seat, even if I had a whole 9 hour flight ahead of me to then only connect me to another flight in order to be back home. By this time I was just frazzled, was not sure what I was feeling about leaving Paris, having just got done with school, heading back home, and everything I had just experienced in a mere 4-5 months! Let's just say I have spent this past week and a half relaxing and trying to get a grasp on my life, so much has changed within!

I arrived in Wichita around 4:17pm and was thrilled to be hopping down the “Arrival” aisle to a nice big hug from my dad 🙂 Mom was out of town that weekend so seeing her would have to wait until Sunday sadly. We got my bags and headed out into the fresh Kansas air. My 1st stop was for an Iced Tea at McAlister’s I mean HELLO, duh!!! Oh and I like my iced tea unsweet for those few of you who may not know 😉 Dad took me by my mom’s house so I could put some laundry in. Amber came over with baby E and we hung out until my dad came and got us for dinner. We were planning on making it to Kobe’s at 8pm but I was pretty much going cross eyed because I was so drained and exhausted from my 13 hour travel time and then 7 hour time difference. Pfffttt and I was the one who thought for sure the time change would not affect me… Well last week I was in bed before midnight almost every night and unfortunately up by 8 or 9 each morning, still absolutely exhausted. This week it is much better and I am feeling way more refreshed. I even started working out which has helped increase some energy! Up until today though I have been quite lazy if I do say so myself.

The weekend I got back I had graduation parties Saturday and Sunday night a birthday Saturday day and then a ‘Welcome Home’ party Sunday afternoon so there was little time for some good rest. I really enjoyed seeing everyone those few days. Some people I had not seen in year were at the graduation parties and then most of my friends on Sunday, man that was a good time! In case you missed the pics on Facebook here are some from the weekend.

Eastyn and I at Bryleigh’s birthday party!!

Thank you Amber for such a wonderful Welcome Home party, love you both! and Luke too 🙂 Thanks mama and papa Jamis as well, Shelbs love you and Bry bug (sad we did not get any pics)

my biscuit and I (aka Hannah)

classic

Kurt!

Paul and my dad!

Aaron!

Cheers, santé! Good times and great people ❤

My main girls, I am so lucky!

What a good weekend, this is just the beginning of a wonderful summer ❤

Currently on the prowl for a Part-Time job that is flexible with school. Since I will be taking 4 classes this summer and then 6 next semester I thought it would be much nicer to be able to have my nights and weekends free for more time to focus on school, go on vacations and enjoy some down time as well. Start 2 classes next week, one online and then one in class but both only for the month of June. Busy busy summer it will be but looking to travel almost every other weekend. KC trip, Branson, Grand Lake, Table Rock Lake, hopefully Chicago, LA and Vegas as well as a possible road trip to Colorado. WOW let's do this! Oh and did I mention I get the keys to my apartment on Monday?! I move next Sunday and I am STOKED! Hello house (apartment) warming party, that is after I finish decorating. GIRLS NIGHT 🙂 Well I am off to bed. This will not be the last. Seeing as how it has been quite the hit maybe I will take up some other type of blogging or “A look into Kelsey’s life” ehhh who knows. See you on the flip side peeps. Again thank you for all of the support, what an amazing experience! On my next one I will get more in tune with what I learned, the changes it has brought me, and the impact this experience has had on my life. Figure I need to be a little bit more “centered” and in touch for that. Be back soon!

Love to you all
Kels

Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful mothers, moms, mums, and more! Wishing each of you a blessed day, thanks to you we all have life 🙂 I am pretty lucky with my mom, one very grateful daughter! Thank you mom for everything you do, I LOVE YOU! Cannot wait to get back and make many more memories together. Hope everyone has had a great week and weekend. I spent my time with some friends for my going away dinner on Friday and then was mostly lazy Saturday and today. Here are some pics from Friday in case you missed them on Facebook.

All of us

Felix and I, we lived in the same house

My love Chloe

Meagan and I

Astri

Francesca, Persia and I ❤

Fran and I

My Scottish gals ❤

Had such an amazing time with these ladies, and Felix of course! I will be sad to leave them but we will always stay in touch, such wonderful people and friends I have made here 🙂

Crazy how time flies by… In a mere 4 1/2 days I will be heading to the airport and then on my way back to Kansas. A lot of people ask me if I am excited to leave Paris, that is a tough question. In only 4 months I have had the adventure of a lifetime, traveling Europe, meeting new people from all over the world, studying in another country, learning another language, living in a dorm (yes that is new to me), being 7 hours time difference from home, and exploring a new “me”. It has all been very exciting and even overwhelming at times. This has been the best experience I have had in my 23 years thus far and this is something I will cherish… forever. However, the fact that it is home I am heading to makes me excited. I am excited to be with my family again, see my friends and I look forward to a wonderful up and coming summer! I will be a busy bee as for I am taking 4 summer classes and currently on the prowl for a job that will work around that. Hoping to spend a few weekends at the lake, travel to a couple states and even make some more memories with loved ones 🙂

As I sit here in bed at 9pm reminiscing on the past 4 months and on the upcoming week, packing my life once again into 3 suitcases to venture 4700 miles it is bittersweet. What a great life, thankful for the opportunities taken and the ones I passed up because all of that led me here. Thankful for the strength I was given when leaving all I ever knew to live so far from home, thankful for the courage to have a dream, thankful for the passion and faith that always kept me going, and thankful for the love for life that made it all possible. I appreciate all of the support this year, I really am one lucky young lady. Thank you to each and every one of my blog followers, my family and my friends for supporting me during this experience! Hope to see some of you when I get back ❤

Love to all
Kels

What would my blog be without a little inspirational quote for you 😉

Happy Sunday and HAPPY MAY to all! What wonderful weather it has been in Paris this weekend. Back home (Kansas) I have heard it’s reached 100 today, wow! Here it has only been 60 but in honor of the hotness back home I decided to go tanning today. I am now burnt, shocker, but I wanted to avoid the massive burn I usually get the first part of summer so I am progressively tanning up until I come home so then hopefully the shock isn’t that bad 😉

This weather gets me all excited for summer and the lake, riding my motorcycle, and even breaking out the dresses, sometimes that is. Plus this weather means I am that much closer to being… HOME! Only 11 days to go (not counting today) and I just cannot believe that. It will be weird leaving Paris and all of the people I have met and friends I have made but I am happy to get back to my family and excited to hang with some of my friends again. When I hear people say “take advantage of being young because life just flashes by you” I believe it. Some days it feels like they last forever but then there are weeks that go by and when you look back you feel as if you floated through them all at once. Life is to be lived by the moment, I try to never wish the days away although it may be hard when you are looking forward to something so much. When in reality it just makes time go by even slower, in my case that is 😉

Thankful for the experiences, lessons learned, and friends made while having ceased this opportunity. Three years ago I would have never pictured myself doing something like this, having the strength to leave everything I knew and everything that made me comfortable to travel 4700 miles away from what I call home. It’s funny how things can change so much throughout the years. Often times this includes letting go of friendships, old habits, and even loved ones who are no longer needed on the path of your highest true self. Truth be told the only “one” we ever really need is one’s self.

Though the days and years may pass by I am trying to make each one worth remembering. I always thought the only things I would ever truly regret in life were the chances I did not take and now I realize it even includes the relationships I was too afraid to have. I am good alone, actually I prefer a lot of things alone but we can only learn so much from aloneness. Most of my life I was afraid of letting people get close to me, afraid I would get hurt or even worse get left. Funny thing is I usually pushed people away so that never could happen, either way I wound up hurt but mostly because I did not know my worth. I have had a lot of time to reflect inward here in Paris, I think that is the main “calling” I got in order to come here. What better way to be alone then to be 4700 miles from loved ones?! I certainly had no choice in the matter here right? Well after a few months of that I have found a few pieces of myself. I am more than aware I will spend the rest of my life finding myself but this is a start 🙂

Thank you to those who have supported me on this venture and for the ones who stuck by me no matter how far away I may be. I am blessed beyond belief and will continue the venture within no matter where I go in life! I appreciate you 🙂

Off to finish up some of my classes this week, Finals the following week and then HOME!!

Love to you all
Kels

This was my motto for the year 🙂