BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - IU volleyball standout Katie Pollom is studying abroad in France this semester and has graciously agreed to chronicle her time in Europe throughout the semester for IUHOOSIERS.com. This is the 10th installment of her diary series.

"Hey everyone,
I was very happy that last Monday was the first day of spring. Although, the weather last week was wonderful, and this week it has cooled down a bit. I wrote last week that I was going to the beach in Marseille to study this past weekend. Well, we went, and didn't stay long because it was a little too cold! It was cloudy in Marseille, so we felt silly for wearing bathing suits under our clothes! However, when we got back to Aix, it was sunny and warm. So, I was able to study in the park on Saturday and Sunday. Although, I didn't get as much studying done, as I should have because it was so nice outside and I enjoyed watching all of the people in the park. In fact, there was a group of French people in a circle playing volleyball on the grass. My friends, whom I was studying with, wanted me to go over there and play with the group (and give them some "bumping lessons"!) I opted out of that one! Although, it made me miss playing and competing.

Sunday, I went to mass at a new church called St. Jean de Malte, which has a younger congregation than the Cathedral, so I liked it much better. It was Palm Sunday, so we started the celebration gathered around a fountain in a nearby street. However, the palms we got over here in France were actual HUGE palms! The one I was given was taller than me and it was the entire branch! Very different than the small palms I'm used to for Palm Sunday mass in the states. Allie took a picture of me with the giant palm though!

This weekend, I'm going on a small Easter vacation to Nice and Monaco, which are both on the southeastern coast. I am so excited because I have two friends coming in to town today in about an hour, so I'm going to go meet them both at the airport. Neal (a good friend from high school) and Christina Solli (who played tennis at IU and now lives in Norway) are both coming to visit and travel with me this weekend :) I actually do not have much time to write because I'm running a little late to catch the "navette", the shuttle bus to the Marseille airport. So I am going to run, but I will take pictures this weekend in Nice and let you all know how the vacation went when I write next. Also, next week I have two partiels (midterms) so I'm going to be studying my butt off come Monday and Tuesday! Have a great weekend everyone!

Love,
Katie"