Great Scot and Paris Encore!

I've just arrived from a whirlwind of events during the last two weeks. To say Scotland was amazing would be a complete understatement. It's fields are lush and green with cute little sheep grazing around. The air was crisp and despite the fact that the weather was a bit Schizo (which apparently is the norm) there were a few days of sunshine :-) We visited the Edinburgh and Stirling Castle which was a magnificent structure in itself but inside was something to marvel at. I felt like i was part of the Medieval era and i could almost picture women coming out in full on corset gowns and the roman army fighting for their country. I also love the accents. I went as a chaperon so i was with 44 french teens. I actually think that made the experience better because i got to see how some of my students responded to being in different surroundings. Plus they had to use their English and they all did a really good job with that. What i loved most about Scotland was the serenity. I felt compeletly at ease from the very beginning of the trip. There is something about the country that makes you immediately realize that an immense history took place there. I'm learning there are some things that you see in reality that you could never truly feel if you were reading them out of a History book. I did the whole touristy thing and got a Edinburgh, Scotland purple hoodie :-) To sum it up, it was truly an enriching experience and i hope that i get to visit Scotland again someday.

After Scotland i went to Paris again but this time to be reunited with my sister Ami. To be honest, even though this was my 4th time in Paris i felt as though it were my first.i think Paris may be my favorite city in Europe. Quel Surprise. We went to all the usual tourists attractions: Le Louvre, Sacre Coeur, the Eiffel Tower and although at times the weather didn't seem to cooperate with us, we had a very splendid time. I also went to a few places that i hadn't been to before like the Musee D'Orsay, which was absolutely breathtaking. The art was truly something to marvel at. It helped that we were with a wonderful group of people who i would like to personally thank for showing us such a good time. It would not have been the same without them. She left with the same impression we all leave with: "J'adore Paris" (i mean really who doesn't?) I miss her tons but showing her around in my somewhat adopted surroundings was a privilege that i'm thankful for.

In 5 days i will be leaving back to the states. 5 days. That's all i have left of my grand French adventure. It's hard to believe because i really do remember the day i received my acceptance email as if it were yesterday. I imagined so many things then that would happen when i finally got here and some of those thoughts come to fruition and others didn't but all in all this experience has exceeded my exceptions. There were times when i was truly frustrated, lost, and insecure as well as times when i laughed, found my way, and showed them how is done in America. Never in my wildest dreams did i think i would get to see all the places and meet all the people that i have met so far. This experience has given me a zeal for travel and reason to further dive into the realm of international relations. I went to be an intricate part of this international world not a passer-by. I thank Allah for all the fortunate opportunities i have had. It's been such a great ride and although i am sad that it's coming to an end I'm ready to go back and dive into what i remember is "normal" to me.

Bisous,
HK