I don’t think it really hit me that this semester was actually ending until last night and this morning. After this week, people that I have seen every day for the past four months I might never see again… or at least not for a long time. IES will no longer be apart of my daily routine, and well, I will no longer experience the amazing French culture on a daily basis. Last night, as a going away party, IES took us all on a boat cruise for dinner. Everyone was dressed up, camera flashes were a consistent part of the evening and it was an incredible night with the people that we have all come to know and love so much. But I think that is also when it hit us that we are really leaving.
The night before I left to come to France 4 months ago I sat in my living room at home and cried. I was so worried that I wasn’t ready for this experience, that I couldn’t be away from home for 4 months, scared of the French culture and what would happen. At that time, May seemed so far away. I remember thinking to myself- there is snow on the ground outside and I won’t be coming home again until it is summer. That is such a long time.
Oh how I wish I could take those words back. Now that night seems like just yesterday and this semester seems like a short dream. I can’t believe that I have lived in French for 4 months, finished classes taken completely in French (and didn’t to too bad in them!), and met some of the most amazing people, not only from all over the United States, but from all over the world. They say studying abroad changes your life? Well- it’s more than that. All semester we have made a joke about the IES abroad slogan. The slogan is “your world- redefined” and they ask all of the students to come up with something that has been “redefined” while they have been in France. All semester we have been making fun of it and no one has taken it seriously. Well, now I know what my slogan would be. "Life- redefined." I literally couldn’t imagined my life without this semester. I grew up, matured and handled things that I never would have been able to in the past. And who could have ever guessed that I can carry on a conversation completely in French?
No matter what our grades are (hopefully not bad) or what we wish we could have done while here, the experience was incredible and the memories will last a lifetime.
Thank you to everyone who has done so much for me to allow me to come on this trip. Thanks for the prayers, the cards, the money, the packages, and most of all, for believing in me. While I will miss France so much, I am ready to get back to the good 'ole U.S.A.
This morning, as I started to cry because of all the things I am going to miss I remembered a little quote from Dr. Seuss, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
Oui Leah. Although I'm sorry you seem to have stopped blogging and you probably will never see this comment, I'm glad to learn, you expanded your world. Yout four months will pay a lifetime of dividends. I never traveled, but I know this to be true. To the young, SEE
ReplyDeleteAND GET TO KNOW THE WORLD. You will grow in untold ways. :-)