My Story

Bonjour! I don't think I've ever been quite this excited to write a post before.

My name is Della, I'm a college student with simple goals: to graduate college and explore the word. Since I've still got a few more semesters to go until I receive my diploma, I decided to work on my other goal: traveling this beautiful world.

Growing up my six siblings and I frequently played with the big blue atlas and spinning globe, putting to use the knowledge we had previously acquired after devouring the latest issue of National Geographic.

We would daydream about faraway places with unusual names. We would spin the globe, close our eyes and randomly pick out a country that we wanted to live in. Who needed geography lessons after this?

Having a father in the military who has traveled to nearly every country only furthered my longing to see more of the world. I remember when I was about eight I asked him to list all the countries he had visited- I was enthralled and curious.

I like to think that I am well suited to living and traveling abroad. I like to be alone when discovering and processing new things. As one of seven kids, I'm used to and enjoy chaos, as well as having learned to be flexible as plans change and unravel. (A trait I inherited from my mother.) As a novice writer, I believe these experiences to be necessary not only in broadening my world views, but also in developing and refining my voice as a writer.

My writing heros are Ernest Hemingway, Anthony Bourdain and Gerald Durrell. Bold, courageous and daring writers each with a unique perspective on life and humanity. Just the type of writer and person I want to be.

A global perspective is essential for a writer and I'm determined to gain one. I've decided to go about this using my French studies as my compass.

I picked French not because of a previous affection or attachment, but because I did not want to take Spanish or Chinese. I figured I would fulfill my four semester requirements and quickly say au revoir to language studies. But French presented itself as my ticket to the outside world.

After a few weeks of French, I was already googling study abroad programs in French speaking countries.

Somehow I stumbled upon programs in Quebec- the French speaking neighbor to my north. A quick examination showed that studying there for an entire semester would cost no more than a semester at my current college. The dream was realized and the process of applying embarked upon. (For more info on this process, click on the Study Abroad Timeline above.)

For these next few fall months, I will be attending Bouchereau Lingua International, a language school based in Quebec. I will be studying and speaking French while exploring this historical city.

I'm so incredibly excited to document my new adventure on this blog, and please, if you have any advice about traveling abroad or living in Quebec, leave a comment or send me an email. I need all the advice you can give! I'm just a baby when it comes to exploring this world.