Around the World...and then some

Catching up

Ok, I admit, it's been a while. I apologize. I think I'd consider it a good thing, though, because it means I've developed a routine and gotten used to living here, and therefore no longer find daily life exciting enough to describe it on here. But since it's been a while, I think I'm just going to go into list format and talk about everything that has happened since I last posted. Oh, and just because she complained, this post is officially dedicated to the oh-so-lovely Jess Cox. ;)


- Dan Kelley came to visit! We took a tour of the Loire valley and saw lots of pretty castles, including Chenonceau! Now, if you haven't been keeping up with my pictures, go there NOW and look at Chenonceau. Because, basically, it's amazing. I've wanted to go there since about 7th or 8th grade, and it was totally worth the wait. Gah, gorgeous! Anyway, other than that, I just kind of got to show off Poitiers, which was exciting, eventhough there's not a ton to do here. All in all, it was definitely a good visit. :)

- I discovered that the big park in Poitiers is absolutely beautiful. I've tried to go at least four times now, but every time it started to rain right as I stepped out the door. But I finally got there, and it was lovely! There are goats and birds and apparently other animals, which makes it exciting. Half of it is "French" style and half is "English" style. The French part is all really straight paths with trees lined up perfectly along the edges. The English style, however, has more curvy paths with lots of pretty flowers and statues. I'm waiting to go again in the next few weeks, when the trees and flowers should all be blossoming and it should be beautiful!

- Speaking of which, spring has officially arrived! The weather gods decided to scare us at one point and turn it cold again, but not for long. The future looks sunny and warm and lovely.

- Last week the guy working at the take-away pasta place may or may not have rememered my order... Um, so I know I go there a lot, but please, not that much...

- Sadly, my French friend situation is at a bit of a standstill, and probably won't change much before I leave. Although, "sadly" may be the wrong word, cause I'm not really that bummed about it. I mean, it would have been neat to make some close French friends, but I'm pretty content with the way it all played out. I say hi to people in the hallways; I actually feel like a part of the class and on an equal level with my classmates, and that alone makes it so much better than Russia, that I'm really okay with it. And besides, I've gotten a lot closer to all the American kids, and I like them a whole lot, so I've really got nothing to complain about. ;)

- This past weekend was the Midd invasion of Madrid! Sam, Michael and Michael's friend Melissa all met Dan in Madrid for Midd's spring break, and Amanda, Kevin and I all hopped over for the weekend. Madrid was really pretty, and the weather certainly behaved for us too. And there's nothing like walking up and down the streets of Madrid singing "When I am King" at the top of your lungs. Yes, it was a truly fabulous weekend.

- And now it's the second to last week of classes!! After these two weeks, I have two weeks of break, then finals, and then I'm done! It's kind of hard to believe, and has definitely gone by really quickly. But at the same time, I'm very ready to come home. It's funny - I think that for my whole life, I've expected to come to France, fall in love with it, and decide to move here for the rest of my life. And well, that didn't quite happen. I'm having a really good time, and truly enjoy France, but I'm not in love with it. America is just comfortable. It's home. It's a comfort that comes from growing up in a place, and that place holding your whole life up until this point. It's been quite the year, but knowing that in about a month I get to go home (and in about four months after that, I get to return to Midd and really go home) is a truly wonderful feeling.

posted by Becky @ 12:11 PM