Packing Thoughts

                So as I sit here with a sore arm (my host mom and I just lugged my biggest bag down three flights of stairs) in a mostly empty room and country music jamming on this last night in Angers, it’s time to do some reflecting on my experiences these past four wonderful months. I can now say that I have lived in France and visited Ireland, Spain and Italy ; that I took an entire semester’s worth of classes entirely in French, that I now have friends from all over the world, and that France would be perfect if only they had American-sized coffees. While of course I CANNOT wait to see my family at the airport tomorrow and spend a good three weeks with them, it feels weird to think about going back to CMU because in my head I’d be coming right back here.  France has stolen my heart and while by no means am I about to up and move here for good, I am definitely planning on returning when I finish school to work as an English teaching assistant in a middle or high school.

                I have learned so much this semester outside of my course work ; I’ve learned how to be a foreigner and what it means to walk into an office and not know if I will be able to communicate to them what I need, to have someone say something to you and not have the slightest idea of what they said. I’ve encountered difficulties with getting money transferred and not knowing how I will get the things I need. But through all of these challenges I have grown so much and have really developed a capacity to empathize with the outsider. It is really hard to integrate yourself into a new culture and a new language but I am so much stronger for it and I have done some really amazing things with my time here.

                That being said, I am SO ready to go home for a while. I’ve already requested steak for my first dinner and bbq chicken for my second and waffles for breakfast. My first purchase once back in the States will be a large regular black coffee and yes I might cry when I am back on American soil as I land in Philly and there is an even higher chance that I will when I see my family. So there is that. Also I am so ready to make the most of my next semester at CMU because new perspectives and new lessons hurray!

                Queue Southern Comfort Zone by Brad Paisley. This is Paige signing out. Happy holidays friends.

My Rome/Paris Take Over!

Only a week and a half left!!! Wow has time flown! Last week I had a couple of midterms (yuck) and now I have started to get ready for finals! I have two Friday then a ridiculous amount next week so wish me luck!

This weekend I visited Rome and Paris with a group of friends!! Friday we spent most of the day traveling, arriving in Rome around 7pm. We found out hostel, which turned out to be a homey little Bed and Breakfast apartment and as far as I know we were the only ones there that weekend, which was awesome. We then went out to eat and had PASTA and GELATTO and it was incredible!!! Then we went on an adventure to see the Trevi Fountain and make some wishes!

The next day we got up bright and early to get to the Vatican by 8:30. Note: if you plan on going there do your research beforehand because there weren’t very many signs and it was really hard to find the right place to go in… But we found it in the end and we checked out the Museum and the Sistine Chapel and all that fun stuff! Next we visited the Coliseum!! This was my favorite, it was so incredible!! We were too late to tour the Roman Forum but you could see a lot of it from outside and it was awesome! Broken columns, arcs and chapiteaux everywhere! Next we headed off to see the Pantheon where we saw Raphael’s tomb and after a dinner break we visited the Spanish Steps!!

Unfortunately our plane was at 6:30 the next morning so we planned to take a taxi there at 3am and did not sleep that night… So we arrived back in Paris at 10am Sunday morning and spent the day exploring! We visited the Catacombs, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame (all decorated for Christmas!) and the Champs Elysées and Arc de Triomphe! At the Champs Elysees the Christmas Markets had been set up and there were Christmas lights everywhere! It was so beautiful! We then had to head back to the train station to catch our train at 9:45 and we were back to Angers by 11:30pm. What a long weekend! It was so much fun though! My feet still hurt from all the walking and I’m still catching up on sleep but it was definitely worth it.

The rest of this week is pretty busy as well; tonight is the International Soiree (for which I will be performing a skit with my Theatrical Expression class!) and Friday I have two oral exams (yikes!). So wish me luck and I will keep you updated!

Normandy

We are in the final stretch! These next few weeks are going to be a little stressful because in most classes I have to take a two tests, one regularly scheduled one similar to a midterm and also my final exams! The test schedule is so cramped because most students don’t leave until the semester ends at the end of January but us Americans leave before Christmas so we have to take our exams early. Yikes, wish me luck. I had two in my language class Friday morning (RIGHT AFTER THANKSGIVING!! – I WAS NOT HAPPY) anyways, it went fine so moving on. I have two this coming week, at least three the week after that and at least four my final week…

On a more positive note this week I attended an International Dinner! It was a potluck so everyone brought a dish traditional of their country (I brought No-Bakes!) and holy cow is authentic Asian food delicious; Chinese, Japanese, Korean, bring it on! They were definitely my favorite dishes.

For Thanksgiving I got together with some friends and we had another potluck! I made No-bakes again to finish off my ingredients. We had chicken, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, turkey sandwiches, guacamole (one of the girls was Mexican) and it was delicious! It was so great to at least be able to have a meal with friends and of course we all went around and said what we were thankful for! Not having the option to be with my family, it was the best Thanksgiving I could have had!

Yesterday was my excursion to Normandy and holy cow, what a powerful experience. We first visited a World War II museum, then the American Cemetery and finally the beaches. World War II memorials are so much more powerful here because as an American, for me it was always just another war we fought but other here everyone was affected by it and so many soldiers and civilians alike were killed in the conflict. Seeing the 9,387 American graves, some of which were unknown soldiers, some had been visited recently which flowers next to them was such a moving experience and really gives perspective to the enormity of this battle and World War II as a whole. Omaha Beach, one of the landing points is so beautiful; it was so hard to imagine that it was once the site of that awesome battle. I cannot imagine the bravery of those soldiers. We ended the trip by visiting the Pointe du Hoc, a cliff that overlooks both the Omaha and Utah Beaches that was a crucial defensive point for the Germans that was taken by a couple battalions of US Army Rangers. Today it stands as a tribute to the Rangers and has not been altered since the war. There are still craters from bombs and old half destroyed bunkers that scatter the point. It is such a beautiful and sad place. If you know a veteran, thank them for me, because I am beyond words.