The last month

Helllerrr everyone,

It is officially the start of my 5th/ last month in France. I am actually about 2 days late, but whatever not everyone can be perfect!:) LOL! It is soooo crazy to think I will be going home in less than a month! Today I walked into the house and Lea was opening the mail and says to me, " Your train ticket came." and I was so confused I was like, "What train ticket, I didn't buy one...?" and she goes, "The one for when you leave."

I was in shock, I was like WHAT are you serious! Its another one of those things that punch you in the face with reality and right now that reality is that I am peacing out soon!

Lately I have been thinking about my whole exchange and basically reflecting on everything I have done, accomplished, been through and seen and its extremely bitter sweet. I went back last night and read pretty much all my blogs, starting with the one about US orientation and it was so weird to read them, because I obviously remember being there and what we did, but when I read what I wrote its like I am watching my self experience it again! So I am sooo happy I wrote this blog because it gives me a way to relive my exchange! I had some moments while I was reading were I noticed how much I have changed since the start of this exchange, not just maturity wise, but with the language and how I think about things here now! I guess it's because living here is now normal for me. It isn't foreign or weird. I know how things function and look and I just go about my business here like anyone else.

One of my best friends wrote this quote on her instagram yesterday and I just thought of it as I am writing this because its perfect, I promise you all know it!:)

"When in Rome, live as the Romans do; when elsewhere, live as they live elsewhere." - Saint Ambrose

Obviously a very famous quote but it's true. When I am back in the states I will live as I did 5 months ago, but here I live as the french people live and at the moment it is normal.

I know that when I get home I will be very happy because it is home and I have missed my family and friends soo much and I really have missed how somethings are. However at the same time it is probably going to be a serious rocking of my world when I am suddenly having to warm my brain back up to a different way of thinking!

I am also pretty sure when I am surrounded by english again I am going to be very confused! LOL! It's already happened to me once when I went to Norway with my host sister! I kept speaking French just as a reaction and then having to remember that we were in different countries and there I had to speak english and that was like my second month, so I barley spoke french! I can't imagine what it will be like now! Hahaha!

As I said earlier all this is bitter sweet right now and I know that it probably seems a bit early to be talking about all this stuff, I mean I am still here for a little under a month, but time passes like the wind here. I am also already doing a lot of "lasts" so it is just the phase of the exchange that I am in. I am soaking up all the time that I have left here and having to start thinking about whats to come in the next couple weeks!:)

On a fabulous note, my birthday is in 2 weeks wooohooo Ill be 16 and that in it self freaks me out! LOL! and then my last week in France I get to go on a ski trip with my class, so that will be a really great way to finish this insane life changing adventure!:)

Sorry this wasnt an update on what I've been doing, if you are really that interested, I've been at school since monday! super fun, I know!

I hope you all have a good rest of the week and a relaxing/ fun weekend
à bientôt
XOXOOX
Grace