The last few weeks have been a crazy mixture of emotions and activities. We finished teaching ten days ago which left plenty of time for ‘last suppers’ and beautiful picnics and bar crawls. The down side to such fun sounding activities? Each one was a farewell to one or more friends who were ready to take off to their homeland the next day. Being one of the last to leave means that I am able to partake in the festivities but also have to watch as our social group for the last seven months shrinks daily.
Aside from that, I’m packed and ready to go except for the box of books I most likely need to mail home unless I can effectually fit them into my suitcase, but that’s not looking promising. Leaving my room in Les Herbiers was an emotional task. Its really strange how attached one can get to a living space. It was my little sanctuary since October and leaving it behind was a little like losing a comfort blanket. Leaving Les Herbiers itself was not as emotional as it could have been considering Melissa was in Spain with her dad and Mattia was in Italy visiting his family and showing some students around. When we arrived in October I was a little upset that I had to move to the country while the other girls set up shop in the city. Now, I am very sad to say goodbye to my rural home. I will miss the cows, local bakeries, students, kind teachers, birds and crickets singing outside of my window all day, and sharing cultures and stories with Melissa around our tiny kitchen table. All good things have to come to an end, I suppose.
I’ve now set up shop (my backpack is on the floor) in Gregory’s old room as I wait for Wednesday when Keri Ann, Jennifer and I will fly to Iceland for two days before taking our final flight to Seattle. Last week I was feeling like I didn’t want to go and holding on to the France-mode mindset for dear life. But, now that nearly everyone is gone it doesn’t feel the same. So, America, we’re coming for you; be ready!
