Friends

Today I'm going to talk about the French people I've met here and I guess just the (very) general idea of how my friendships have formed this year. I've spent some time talking about exchange students, but I've never really explained my school friends and how I even got them. That may also be because I'm still not sure how I got them. 

I'll start with the girls in my class, because they were the first ones to really become my friends. One in particular is definitely my best friend here. Even though she was basically assigned to me on the first day, she hasn't ever left me to the wolves (the wolves being scary French people who I don't know). It's because of her that my French is at the level it is. Mostly because she isn't afraid to correct me (which is lovely) even if I seem annoyed by it. I guess it was because of her that I became friends with the other girls. I love all of them to bits and pieces. I had also met a few other girls in the various English classes that I helped with in the beginning of the year. 

It was relatively easy to become friends with the girls, but the guys on the other hand.... We'll just say that it was a little more complicated. After a couple awkward experiences with being lab partners in SVT (Biology) I had basically given up on getting guy friends. But the day came when one of the girls from an English class helped me break down the barrier. I'm pretty sure that I've already ranted about the separation of guys and girls with foosball and everything and if I haven't... I just did sort of. But anyway, this girl helped me get a place to play at the foosball tables. After about a month of more awkward interactions, I gradually made friends with a few of the guys. 

Mission accomplished, right?

You may be laughing, but people don't realize how impossibly daunting it can be to make friends on exchange (at least with the locals). I started with no one. I had no history with any one of them and I could barely speak the language in the beginning. I don't know how to properly describe the experience. Even though I have them now, it isn't really the same as what I was expecting. It gets really annoying every time I realize how long they've all known each other and that they all get next year together. All the people I've known for a long time are super far away, and I didn't really mind leaving them. I thought that starting over completely would be simpler. I was definitely wrong. Simple is not a word I would use to describe any of this. It's hard hearing them talking about all the things they did last year or what they might do next year. I only have this year. I can only wish that it was longer. 

My struggles with this year have switched from: "This is too new, I don't really like it as much as I thought I would" to: "I can live like this for the year" to where I am now: "I love everything about this and I never want to leave it behind". 

I have no desire to leave at this point. I hate when people say the April is soon, because after April I only have May and June. I hate when people ask me when I'm leaving. I hate when people ask me when I'm coming back... I HAVEN'T LEFT YET! I hate being reminded that it's going to end, because I love what it is. 

I definitely CAN wait for it all to end!

Amelia