One Last Time...

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I started trying write this on June 28th. This will (probably) be the last blog that I write in France.

It’s bittersweet, all of these ‘lasts’. My ‘last’ day of school was June 11th. My last day with my friends was June 30th. My last day with my host family was July 2nd, unless you count the time between waking up and getting on the train at 7:20 AM a day. It’s bittersweet because no matter how hard it was to leave home, no matter how hard it was to get through the year without seeing anyone I knew, no matter how many times I wanted to go home, no matter how happy I am to finally be able to see my family and my friends and my home again, this is harder. It is harder to leave because I don’t know when I will get to come back. Or if I ever will.

I would like to delete that last sentence, but that wouldn’t be honest. I’ve tried my best all year to write this thing with as little editing as possible (although I have no shame, only great pride, in claiming that I did do my best to edit for spelling and grammar). I know that I will do everything in my power to stay in touch, and to come back one day. It’s the uncertainty that makes the difference.

Enough of my morose musings. I will be home the day after this thing shows up on the blog, at around 7 PM EST, daylight savings. For me, that will be midnight, but I will do my best to be awake and alert to say hello to anyone I run into between the airport and home. I ask that you forgive me if I start spouting French left and right. I have worked very hard to not change languages in the middle of sentences during the (small amount of) time that I’ve devoted to blogging this year, but I do, in fact, think in French ninety percent of the time these days. I’m surrounded by people who speak it twenty-four/seven, what can I say? I also ask for advance forgiveness if I begin correcting unperfected French accents (If you can convince me that it’s a Québécois accent, I may shut up; I willingly admit that I am not an expert in that realm). Again, what can I say? I’ve been here long enough to wince while thinking of my own clumsy beginnings, and not wish that on anyone else, ever again.

Time left before landing Stateside: approximately 16 hours. I can’t wait to see you.

Bientôt de retour,

Charlotte

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