I always thought blogs were slighty pretentious. An unnecessary and confusing technicality for people who think too much and overindulge in sharing the boring details of their tortured minds... But here I am. I'd like to take a fresh approach to blogs, and share the things that I think are worth sharing. The things that I'd like to hear about if I were you.

In all honesty, I'd like to (perhaps a little conceitedly) suggest that my life of 21 years has suddenly got quite exciting. I leave for France on Tuesday, where I'm going to live for a year. I'll keep you updated about my adventures, and whether they match up to my decidedly hopeful expectations involving cheese and wine-filled nights with intelligent French students arguing about politics.

I feel quite differently about going to France then I did about travelling to Sri Lanka in 2007 and Uganda last summer. (Oh dear, here come the boring details of my tortured mind...sorry.) Both were enormous adventures for me, particularly Sri Lanka as I was only nineteen and hadn't even lived away from home before. Plus I was to be gone for four whole months, living amongst a completely different culture. It was hard at times, but it was incredible and I grew up a lot. As for Uganda,I was going away for two months with a whole load of people from university, which made things much less scary. I enjoyed myself in the wilds of East Africa even more than I did in my gap year. From living in a mud hut amongst the malaria-ridden, poverty-stricken, yet wonderful villagers of the deserted Murchison area to travelling around Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, those two short months were the most eye-opening, beautiful and fun I have ever had.

But France? It's only across the channel, or an hour or so to Pau on a cheap Ryanair flight. It's a similar climate to here in England but slightly hotter, the food is reportedly delicious, and the people are, well, let's wait and see. I've heard mixed reviews. There's not a lot to be scared about. But then, I am the foreigner. Yes, I was even more of a foreigner in Uganda and Sri Lanka. But I was there to build schools, teach English, do environmental stuff. I was useful, I was there to help. I was welcome with my knowledge and my enthusiasm and, arguably most importantly, my money. When I arrive in France I have to hunt down some cheap accomodation and then hunt down some French friends, so that I can 'immerse' myself in the culture and triumphantly return home fluent in French... I feel as if I'm somewhat imposing myself and expecting a lot. I am more of an étrangère than ever before.... merde.