au revoir

Yesterday was my last full day in Marseille. Today I'm going to go to the train station in Marseille and take the train to Paris along with the rest of the AFSers from PACA who are going to the end of stay orientation. Tonight will be spent with AFSers from all over france. Tomorrow morning, at the crack of dawn, The other Americans and I will head to the airport to catch our flight back to New York. I will then take a flight back home.

Remember those posts back in August? Where I was just too sad to leave my home? Well this one is going to be very similar. Marseille has become chez moi. I don't want to leave it! Granted, I have had quite a few perks...you know, like living in walking distance from the beach, having one of the nicest parks in Marseille right next to my house, the beautiful weather...but it's not just the superficial things which I'm going to miss about Marseille. Over the past ten months Marseille has become my home. I finally learned which exit goes where at the metro stop in the old port. I know how to get around the city by bus, by metro, by foot and by car. I've made some of the best friends of my life here and I know that we'll stay in contact. I have another mother who will hug me when I need it.

Sometimes I don't know what I'm going to do when I get back. Will I just go back to my day to day life? I don't think so...I could never just forget an experience like this. I really grown up this year. I've changed so much. I'm no longer that little girl who said goodbye to all she knew last August. They say that coming back will be an adjustment "that can sometimes be difficult". I believe them...It's just hard to imagine being back home when here in Marseille it's also my home.

Where did the time go? Its funny...I seem to remember saying just last week that is was so sad "I only have six weeks left." How did that change from six weeks to a couple of hours so quickly? There was a while where I wasn't ready to go home, but that feeling has passed. It's not that I don't want to go home, I just don't want to leave...does that make sense?

As usual, I'll leave you with some pictures. These are a few snapshots of the visit from my brother and his girlfriend.

La France va me manquer. Il y a tant des qui m'ont vraiment touchés, et je ne les oublierai jamais. Il y aura toujours une place dans mon coeur pour Marseille et tout le monde qui m'ont accueilli chaleureusement. 

My going away party

School's out!

That's right everyone, school's officially finished (but not forgetting that little thing in less than two weeks called the BAC).

Usually at the end of a school year I'm one hundred percent ready for summer. Here, it's not exactly the same thing. From the work standpoint, I'm one hundred and fifty percent ready for summer, but on the other hand it means that I won't see most of the kids in my class. The feeling on the last day of classes was one of tight throated, small smile while the people who helped me all year long wished me a "bon retour aux états unis" and told me "tu me manqueras".

The 1ereS3

Vous me manquerez tous! I'll never forget how you helped me when I was lost in class, made me laugh with your crazy antics at the most inappropriate times, encouraged me when I thought I couldn't do it, and welcomed me graciously to the 1ereS3. Thank you for an amazing year. 

 “Why does it take a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye?”

                                                                    -Unknown

Goodbyes being said, I walked home in low spirits to find my train ticket to Paris for the end of program orientation waiting for me on the table. Everything's happening too fast! I still have one month left, and I'm going to make the most of it. The beautiful weather is calling, and I have some of the best friends in the world to pass the days with. 


These last few weeks won't go to waste. 

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes.  A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.  And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends."

                                                                    -Richard Bach

And as usual, I'll leave you with some pictures :)

Our AFS PACA volunteer Timour's going away party

A day at the pool with Marie and Mélanie 

and Axelle! :)

Before I left for France I found it impossible to imagine that in such a short time I would be leaving to go to a foreign country for a whole year. I feel a little bit like that right now. Not only do I find it utterly impossible to imagine that I'm going to be back in the United States in less than two months, but it also seems like I'm going to another foreign country. The two months mark came and went without leaving me time to fully comprehend the magnitude of what it means.

In about a month and a half I will no longer be in France. With almost all of my friends and family here in France, the subject has become taboo. We just don't talk about it because it's too sad to think about. I know I'll come back, but visiting isn't the same thing as living the French life.

I've really come to love this country and I haven't even had the chance to explore it in it's entirety. I'm going to be coming back to visit for the rest of my life.

With that all said, it's not over yet! I still have time left to really take advantage of my experience. School is almost over (June 10th) and the weather is gorgeous! I'm living the life with the sun and a high of 80's every day.

I've also taken advantage of the nice weather to do some traveling and see some friends and family. Since the last time I updated I've visited with my older brother, sister-in-law and niece, I've been to the French Alps, traveled back up to Paris to visit some friends from home, took a trip to Corsica, and spent a mini-vacation in St. Tropez.

Here's the proof :)

Lucy, Laura and me in Cassis

Ice Cream with Lucy and Eben in Cassis

Hiking in the Alps!

Reunion in the middle of Paris!

The view from a hike in Corsica

Jumping around in Bonifacio, Corsica

Emma and me in Corsica

The Statue of Liberty! There's a carnival at school where everyone dresses up, and this was my costume.

La Bravade de St. Tropez.
 Each year, St. Tropez has their "fête du village" where they celebrate their history. It's a different St. Tropez than I had imagined or seen before. All of the Tropeziens dress up in the old provençal costumes. It's like we took a trip back in time. 

La Bravade de St. Tropez

Here's a video of last years Bravade. It'll give you an idea of what it's like. You'll see small bouquets on the shoulders of the soldiers. Nicoles family is the last family in the town who make the bouquets, so we spent the day before the bravade making bouquets for the town. They then got sent to the church to be blessed. Folklore has it that if you keep your bouquet for the whole year, it'll bring you good luck. On the other hand, you can't throw it out until you have one from next year, and you can't throw the old one in the trash. It has to be thrown to sea or burned. 

In the next month and a half, I expect that I'll be even busier than the last! Imagine that!