a bump in the road

I was recently thrown a curve-ball concerning my upcoming trip to Scotland, which begins one month from today.  On Thursday afternoon, I received an email from St. Andrews about my accommodations for next semester:  I was offered a single room in an apartment which I realized is about a 25-30 minute walk from where the majority of my classes will be.  (The apartments are owned and run by the university, but from what I have found there is no public transportation that far from campus.)  I would have fewer meals per week covered, and the fees for this option would be quite a bit more money than I was anticipating.  Though I would not necessarily mind sharing an apartment with four people for the semester, I was looking forward to living on campus in a residence hall much closer to the heart of the city and campus.

It is not customary for the university to amend offers of accommodation, but I emailed their office that night outlining my hesitations regarding the offer and to inquire whether there is any other room available.  I received a kind reply the following morning from a woman in the office letting me know that she brought it to the attention of her manager and that they would respond to the matter as soon as possible.  (I have always been impressed by the University’s prompt and friendly replies to any inquires I have had.)  Unfortunately, they are now closed for the holidays until January 3, so I will not know for a while yet.  I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying that this will all work out for the best.  I have faith that I will end up where I’m meant to be, and I know I will make the most of the situation however it turns out.  If I do have to walk an hour or two every day, I will certainly become accustomed to the cold weather much more quickly, and I will never have to worry about lack of exercise!

I will keep you updated on the situation; I will also be writing more soon about the whole study abroad process thus far as well as my fall semester at Erskine.  God bless and enjoy the Season!

Introduction

Hello!

I’ve never done a blog before, but here I am!  I hope that I will improve with time, because right now I am hopelessly lost in trying to figure out how this website works.  Obviously, I’m not very tech-savvy.

I do enjoy writing, though, and I hope that you will find some of what I have to say interesting.  I am getting closer to embarking on the most exciting journey of my life thus far, which begins January 22, 2013.  I will be spending Spring semester at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. I am so excited, despite having to say goodbye to the wonderful friends at Erskine that God has blessed me with.

So that you can get an idea of who I am, let me introduce myself:

My name is Christine Dumouchel and my hometown is Charleston, SC. I am a junior at Erskine and pursuing an honors major in psychology with a double minor in Spanish and family studies. (No, I’m not an over-achiever or anything.)  I’m interested in the connection between spiritual health and mental health; I also see great potential in alternative/arts therapies (art, music, dance/movement, writing, mindfulness meditation, yoga, etc.).  After undergrad, I plan to apply to both Master’s and PhD programs in therapy/counseling and clinical psychology.

I love singing, dancing, acting, and performing in general. I also enjoy reading and writing: books are my best friend.  I am quite active on Erskine’s campus: I am an SLA (Student Life Assistant) in Carnegie Hall, the residence hall for freshmen women, and I lead SI (Supplemental Instruction) for one of the sections of General Psychology.

4 of the 5 Carnegie SLAs (Tiffany, Leighton, Me, Heather) and a former Carnegie SLA (also Heather)

I sing with the Choraleers and Chamber Choir and also take private voice lessons.  This fall I played Elaine Harper in the fall play, Arsenic and Old Lace;  joined Erskine’s new improvisation group, ImproVfessional; and [successfully] rushed Erskine’s chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, a national theater honor society.  I am a member of Alpha Chi (a national academic honor society) and Omicron Delta Kappa (national leadership honor society).  I serve as the secretary of the Erskine Society of Psychology, which is in the process of forming a local Psi Chi chapter.  I enjoy working with Dr. Norman (Erskine’s president) and his wife as much as I can, and one of my favorite evening activities is babysitting their 3 wonderful boys-Noah, Asher, and Ezra.

Faith is one of the most important parts of my life.  I am Catholic but never feel out of place at Erskine despite its affiliation with the ARP church.  I am abundantly blessed by God’s grace and mercy, and I thank Him for that every day.  One of my favorite things about Erskine is seeing the way that He works in and through my friends, classmates, professors, and everyone that works to make Erskine the great place that it is.

It was difficult to have to say goodbye during exams, knowing that I will not be back at Erskine in the spring.  However, my friends and I made the most of the time; some of them even had a few surprises for me!   I look forward to challenging myself and learning all that I can while I study abroad.  Over the next several weeks, I will be posting about the study abroad application process, reflecting on my semester, and sharing about my preparation to cross the pond.

Happy Advent, and may God bless and keep you!

my friends threw me a surprise going-away party last Friday. I’ve never had a surprise party before and it was wonderful!