Sunday, June 22, 2014

Not "goodbye", but "see you soon" (I hope)

Sorry I haven't been posting at all. As my exchange is winding down to the end, I just haven't been motivated to explain it. So excuse me for that. 

On June 11th, I had to say goodbye to the majority of my French friends. I kept telling myself that I was going to cry so much, but in reality, I only cried once... at the end of it all. The actions didn't seem real at the time, but once I got back to the house it all hit me at once. Saying goodbye to the people who have accepted me all year was one of the most painful experiences of my life. I know I'll see them again someday, but the thought of facing next year without them scares me.


Next sunday, I will be saying goodbye to all the exchange students left in my district. That is going to be extremely difficult. I know that I'll probably never see most of them again. The thing about the exchange students is that everyone will be so spread out after it's over. I'm looking forward to seeing them one last time, but it won't be the same atmosphere. Everyone will know that it's the last time. Everyone will be crying (yes, even the strong ones). Everyone will have to face the fact that it's ending or is already over.  


Another important event next sunday will be the arrival of my mother in France. I plan to introduce her to my host families and show her around the area that I have fallen in love with this year. She'll even get to attend a Rotary meeting here in France. While I know that constantly translating between French and English will be difficult, I'm looking forward to the challenge. I want to show my mom how much this year has given me, but I doubt a few days will be enough.


The people that I have met this year mean the world to me. I could not imagine a better group to have shared this experience with. Saying goodbye hasn't been easy and will not get any easier, but it is part of exchange. Nothing lasts forever, but at least the connections we have all made this year will last a long time. 


11 days until my flight back... I can't believe it's coming to a close.


Amelia

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