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

Refelections After 7 Months

So here it is. 7 months later. What can i say, i did expect it to come by fast but not this fast. I wish i could sum up my experiences and my journey here in a cute little blog post but honestly i can't. I have constant remainders everyday of how my life has changed and how I've progressed in many ways. I really feel like i came into adulthood here and it's strange saying that as a 25 year old but the truth is i found myself in a way. All the things i gripped about in the beginning are exactly what have enriched my experience. I lived in a small town, i taught high-schoolers, i struggled with a language barrier and i didn't see my family/friends for 7 months and i made it. Now it's time for me to head back. I'm totally ready because i know that sometimes I'm too American for my own good but like the saying goes "home is where the heart is". I'm leaving with a new sense of patriotism and a new appreciation for culture.

What i'm looking forward to: Speaking American english, eating at my favorite places (Pei Wei, P.F. Chang's, Chuy's, Chipotle, Hidau, Chik-Fil-A... i suppose you get the point now), relaxing with my friends, having quality time with my family, smothering my nephew with love :-), Driving, having things organized and run on time. Everything....

Things I'm going to miss: 6 weeks paid vacation, speaking French constantly, being a foreigner, teaching my students, eating ANY dessert in France (they are seriously top-notch in this department), being in Paris in 3 hours by Train, Paris itself, all the Fashion and arts, the Eiffel Tower, the southern hospitality, everything......

I'm not saying "Adieu" just yet, I'm off to Scotland in about a week, after that my sister Ami is coming to see me and I'm uber excited :-) after about a week in Paris i will return to the south and after that i have just one more week till I'm off to the United States of America. Life is Grand.

Bisous,
HK

All That Glitters.........

In a surprising turn of events, i really want to go home.... well maybe it's not that surprising. I think i made the mistake of not coming home at least once to visit in-between when i started the program and now. It was part of my "I'm on my own and need to do this without help" phase... I'm over that now. It's gotten so bad that I've already planned out what I'm going to do/ where I'm going to go/ and what I'm going to eat as soon as I'm back in my comfort zone that is the U.S.A. Maybe I idealized France a little too much in the beginning, it's not that i no longer love it, it's just that i realize now that it hurts too much to be this far away from my friends and family. I've had a blast and I'm learning so many things but with less than 2 months to go, i now feel it's time to re-plunge myself into American Culture. Sometimes i find myself just craving a normal conversation in English or just wanting to catch a movie with my friends back home. The irony is that I'm almost 100 percent positive that after 2 weeks in the states I'll be itching to get back to France...... as the French say "C'est la vie"