Thoughts of the week

Morning everyone, I hope you all had a lovely Valentine’s Day yesterday (how is it already the middle of February?!) Second of all, you’d think that having a week off last week would mean I have tons to write about today. I don’t.

I’ve been ill - exciting news, I know. I’ve had a bad cold/light flu for about a week and I’ve been feeling very sorry for myself. I am never, ever sick, which means I do not deal with it very well. Not having my family around to pamper me by making me a bed on the sofa or bringing me soup hasn’t helped the situation but I’m happy to report I’m feeling much better now. Just in time for the last week of term.

Yep, it’s the last week of term. Already. The build up to Christmas felt like it took an age, however, this side of the festive cheer has flown by and I feel like summer is just around the corner (and I am nowhere near bikini ready yet!) I can’t believe I only have two months left in this amazing city. It feels like yesterday that I was sat in a lecture hall panicking about how I couldn’t speak French and that I was going to have to function in a foreign country. And look at me now – I’m actually doing it.

I remember planning over summer what I wanted to get out of this year and the list was absolutely ridiculous:
- Read all of Shakespeare’s plays (I’ve read 4)
- Get super fit (the stairs still kill me)
- Learn Spanish (what was I thinking…)
- Become fluent in French (nowhere near!)

And that’s just a few of them. Safe to say I was completely overambitious in terms of actual things I wanted to achieve this year. Something I have come to realise however, is that my time here has changed me drastically already and I’m not even finished yet.

- I would never have imagined myself going to a writer’s group (alone?!) and sharing my writing, yet it’s one of my favourite nights here.
- I would never have thought I’d have the confidence to stand in front of 30 expectant 7 year olds and teach them English in French, yet I do it without thinking now (and often without planning).
- I would never have imagined that I would have crazy French conversations with the most adorable little four year old in the world, yet I do almost every day.
- I would never have pictured myself functioning without my family for longer than a few weeks, yet here I am miles away from home and not a miserable wreck.
- I would have never thought I’d decide to go to Madagascar for two months on my own, but I leave in 73 days!

People told me that my Year Abroad was going to be the best year of my life, and I think that’s why I built it up to be this year of massive achievements. With two months left, despite my plans failing miserably, I’m proud of myself. I still can’t believe I’m doing this. 

Bisous à tous xxx