Progrès et Tristesse

   J'ai un coup de foudre avec la belle France! I am accustomed to living life here now; I feel like I have been living here for at least a year and that I have known my new friends my whole life. I feel like I have been walking around the cobblestone streets of France for years. I feel French at times, but I wish I really was. The countryside is so beautiful. I see mountains that surpass the Great Smoky Mountains in height every day. Hikes here are beyond beautiful, the lake is crystal clear, and I'm going to gain 10 pounds from all the tasty crepes, croissants, and pasta I've eaten. My thoughts this past week have been revolving around my new class and what it will like making the trek back home (only two weeks and three days left...NOOO).
   I was put into the intermediate level French class after I took the placement exam online. Although I felt that the class was a little too easy for me, I loved reviewing grammar rules and practicing pronunciation.It was the perfect chance to review. However, on Tuesday our teacher told us that there were going to be changes and that some people would switch classes. I secretly hoped one of those people would be me, and yesterday I found out that I was :). My teacher said that my friend Ivana and I showed a lot of interest and that we would do better in the higher class. I am now in Level 4 - the highest French class here. Today was the first day in that class, and it felt right. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm rather proud of myself. Dedication goes a long way here. Learning to speak French like a French person isn't as easy as I thought. But I'm getting better. I hope I've made a significant amount of progress and that I can retain everything I've learned. There is no greater feeling than being able to understand. Just to understand. For example, a few days ago I had a friendly conversation with the directeur d'ISEFE here at our university. Here is German, but speaks fluent French. I was able to understand and contribute to our conversation about traveling. Learning a foreign language is awesome!
   The second thought that's been swimming around my head isn't a happy one: I'm having mixed feelings about going back home. Yes, of course I miss the people back home, but I'm pretty sure I've fallen head over heels for France. Is there some kind of process to go through before I leave so I just don't cry all the way back? I feel like the way of life here makes since: people buy fresh food at markets and it's cheaper than fast food, clothes are BEAUTIFUL here, and everything is closed on Sundays. But then again, I can see myself dressing in overalls everyday and wearing red, white, and blue because I really have missed the good old USA. Honestly, I'm afraid this whole experience will turn into a dream. It has been too good to believe that it's really true. This trip has shown me that I could live very happily in France, and that I'm going to have to visit again. This experience has also introduced me to traveling. I came across the perfect quote a few weeks ago: "I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth, then I ask myself the same question" Harun Yahya. Traveling has taught me a lot about myself and has made me learn how to solve problems. I'm pretty positive I'm going to turn into a traveling-junkie and make little trips all over the US and save money so I can see more of the world. I know my goodbye to France is going to be full of tears, so we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

   As for now, I feel like I have to do so much more discovering before I leave. I've got castles to see, rivers to canoe on, and fireworks to gaze at. I know I'm going to think about France everyday when I return and how I was the luckiest person alive to go there. I love France.