Going Home

(Day 131, Lyon)

So this is it. The End. I’m sitting in the Lyon Saint-Exupery airport (a thousand hours before my flight, better safe than sorry), and I’m on my way home. I honestly began my trek home at 6:45 this morning when I left the apartment in Grenoble to take the train here, and it’s not going to end until 5:30pm Boston time when I arrive. That’s 11:30pm French time, so I’ll have been traveling for quite some time, but I’m excited. As I was sitting in the train, I was watching the French countryside (literally) pass by my window, and it hit me for real that I’m going to miss France and my life here. I have always known that I would miss all of the food, I’m planning on cramming as much as my stomach can handle into my mouth before I officially leave France, but I’m going to miss my friends, the walk to the tram, the mountains that surround the city, the Bubbles going up to the Bastille, the crazily well trained dogs, watching movies at the theater with French subtitles, opening the curtains every morning to the view out my window.

That’s not to say that I there aren’t things I’m looking to get away from: having a room that looks uninhabited, feeling confined to one room in the apartment, being completely understood by the people around me, not wearing the same 5 pieces of clothing.

So I enjoy employing hyperbole in my daily life. Sue me. There are also things that I wish had been different. I wish I would have been in classes with French students, or at least native French speakers, I could have had even more time (and money) to travel to see my friend in Germany or go to Eastern Europe, I would have gone and seen more movies in French, or I could have tried foie gras and frog legs. Oh, wait. Not that last one. Quick turned me off foie gras for the rest of my life.

Eww. But over all, this has been such a wonderful decision, and not one I would ever take back. I’ve made amazing friends here from all over the country, I was exposed to the beauty that is kinder chocolate, and I have had an opportunity that not many people get the opportunity to do and live the French life. Thank you so much to my family for making this possible, to my friends for making this amazing, and to France for being so absolutely fantastic.

Au revoir et à bientôt.

On the Horizon

(Day 126, Grenoble)

I can see the end. It's a little too close for comfort, yet also too far. I have very mixed emotions about coming home. As can only be expected. I love France, I really do. I love the food, the culture, the style of life, the language. I'll miss my friends, the apartment, speaking French, the food. Honestly, the food is to die for. But I'm excited to go home too. I'm excited to see my dog, my house, my family, Dunkin' Donuts. I miss driving, my friends, and my school. I'm so excited for this summer, but I'm not ready to leave this all behind yet. I leave Friday morning: a train from Grenoble to Lyon, then a flight from Lyon to Paris, Paris to Boston. I'm excited about the traveling (I sincerely enjoy planes and trains), but I'm going to miss being so close to all these different cultures. Luckily I have my last two finals to keep me busy. Wednesday and Thursday morning. So fortunate, right? Also, I've found my second favorite flavor of macaron this week at Paul's in Grenoble (One Tribe, One Family), called Pomme d'Amour, Apple of Love, only behind all of the flavors at Laudree. I'm hoping to stuff as much French food as I can in my face in these 5(!!!) days I have left. I'm so sorry I have no new photos for you all, but I did overload it last time, so take a browse over the other pictures that I've posted throughout the semester and reminisce with me.