Update on Francey-France

I've taken several steps since my last update:

1. I applied to study abroad with AbroadCo - and was accepted the next day!  Yay!  The acceptance letter got lost in a vortex for a while but was eventually recovered at the campus post office.
2. I sought out approval from 4 people on the faculty to make sure my credits would count towards something.
3. I submitted a scholarship application.  I won't find anything out until April, though.
4. I sent a signed release form (scary!), medical questionnaire, and housing questionnaire.  I asked for a homestay.  Homestay = Full immersion!
5. I bought and received a Rail Pass!  Which one did I decide on? The France-Italy YouthPass, from Eurail.  The Eurail Selectpass became very expensive after the New Year, so I went with a regional pass instead.  Since the journey from Strasbourg to Basel is less than $50 round trip, I might go to Switzerland anyway and pay out of pocket.
6. I probably won't go to Rome...because I've been invited to a castle in Tuscany!  Florence here I come!
7. My friend received tickets for the Gallery of the House of Commons!  I told him that I was visiting London was interested in seeing Prime Minister's Questions...so now we're going to see Prime Minister's Questions!  Since we have tickets, we don't have to wait in line forever.  Yay!
   

Despite all this action, I have yet to complete the Three Biggies...mostly because they require tons of money and my mother's help (because they require tons of money).

1. Pay AbroadCo the remaining balance.  Thanks, Mommy!
2. Book airline tickets.  This one will be tricky, considering most flights have tons of connections.  The best one I have found flies from Philadelphia to Chicago to Madrid to Marseille, then  *deep breath* Paris to Madrid to Chicago to Philadelphia to come back.  I can handle it, but I surely won't enjoy hauling my luggage and changing planes so many times.
3. Go down to Washington, D.C. and get student visa.
   

We're doing the Three Biggies in this order because one step serves as a prerequisite for the next one.

Summer job W-2 came in the mail today = extra spending money that will not be accesed until Francey-France.

I'm excited all over again.