Well, today is officially my last day of relaxation. School starts up again tomorrow after two lovely weeks of mental rest.
Since my return from Paris I've pretty much been chilling at home, doing homework, and cooking. I got my hair cut nice and short. I've been for several bike rides, including one with my lovely hostsister Alice.
On Thursday I met up in town with the other internationals of Angouleme.
It was my first real tour of the town, as my hostfamily still hasn't got around to taking me for a real visit. We had sandwiches for lunch, walked around the city, and found a creperie!
So, it's been a fairly relaxing vacation. While I've enjoyed the break, I'll also enjoy having a schedule again. And of course, coming up is Thanksgiving, which I'm planning on celebrating with my hostfamily. Speaking of Thanksgiving, I made a pumpkin pie yesterday as a test run.
Receiving an email the other day with my departure details was a bit of a shock. I'm not even halfway through my stay yet, but I guess time keeps pushing ahead. Thinking back on my first days here--so many emotions all at once that it was completely overwhelming--it's clear that a lot has changed already. I remember how scared I was for the first day of school, how awkward I could feel around my hostfamily...it's pretty amazing how quickly we can adjust.
As of today, I've been living in Charente for 9 weeks. Reflection and self-examination has been and is a huge part of this experience. Because my time here is limited, I ask myself often what my goals are, what I'm hoping to get out of this, if I'm making the most of my five short months. I think about everything that I've done since arriving and everything that I still want to do, and what parts of my life here I want to bring home with me.
Beautiful.
ReplyDelete