It's so surreal to be back in New York, the signs are in English, the cars are giant, and the money is green. My trip is now a memory. I've met people, seen places, and done things that I'll never forget. I adapted a lifestyle and developed relationships that broadened my perspective and influenced who I want to become. It's extremely hard to say goodbye forever, to walk away from people who have changed you for the better, never knowing when you'll see them again, or if you ever even will. I was one of those people that did not want to come home.
The first couple days were both incredibly exciting and incredibly difficult. I was sooo slow with French for a while. It was the first time I ever really attempted to express my instantaneous thoughts and ideas in French on the spot. It's friggin hard. I drastically improved at being able to use the French I already know, vocabulary and grammar I had previously studied became clarified and cemented, and better known by heart so by the end I was chatting away. I learned colloquialisms, expressions, and vocabulary as well. That all came from the conversations I had, especially with my host family. It's a lot more challenging to discuss things like music, art, politics, and culture than it is to order a sandwich. Getting to know them as people in French was probably the coolest thing about my trip.
It was a great program to have fun in France, but I also came home far more capable at French, as I previously mentioned; it was still such an educational experience. There are so many layers of wisdom and self awareness that can be gained from a trip like this, the likes of which I think are far more valuable than textbook knowledge that can be gained at home. Now that I have the skills to use the French I know, I'm excited to pursue grammar, reading and writing.
I have no regrets about going. I must credit the program for giving me the opportunity of going there and doing all that I did as an introduction to my future studies abroad. In fact I'm eternally grateful. I really am in love with France. It was a little like a dream, to have really adapted a lifestyle there. I had a routine and a home and relationships.
