Castles and Rain

The chateaux were beautiful! We saw Chambord, Chenoceaux and Blois. I fell in love with Chenoceaux, a particularly beautiful castle built across water. The day was beautiful and I had a wonderful time. As usual. ;)

I would like to apologize for my recent neglect of this chronicle. I think I have felt less inspired to write of late because I haven’t had anything of much note to say. I crossed the half-way mark this Monday – I had left home eight weeks ago and I was leaving for home in another eight weeks. I feel like I have finally settled into my life here everything is no longer shiny and new. I still look up at just the right time on my walk to the Metro to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, but it no longer seems so exotic. I still feel a sense of temporariness; my apartment does not feel like home, just a place with my bed and my suitcases. But at the same time that I feel this temporariness, I feel like I have been here forever – not eight weeks and 3 days. I get emails from my friends updating me on their lives and I feel like I have missed years. It is an odd feeling to be here and hear about their lives back home because I feel like my “real” life is on hold and I am here, just doing nothing. Meanwhile their lives are in full swing, and I missing out. It sucks sometimes.

I still have things to do – I am going to Amsterdam on a school trip next week, and after that I plan on visiting London and Rome. I’m not ready to be done traveling Europe, but I am ready to be done living in Europe. I know it is going to go so fast and I will be home before I know it, but ugh. The other day I had this indulgent fantasy that I could move my flight home up and get home a week sooner. It wouldn’t make sense, but still. I looked at my calendar the other day and realized that will only be home for 2 weeks before I have to leave for school again. Basically I will spend 2 weeks at home unpacking and then repacking. Gross! The upside, of course, is that I will be back with my friends and back into debate without much delay.

Gosh! Why do I sound so sad? It sounds like I am hating it here, but really, I promise I am not. I have great friends here and I have so many amazing days, walking around the city, hanging out at pubs with my friends, touring things, traveling…really, everything is so great. I think it’s just that it’s not home. I always wanted to spend some time living in Paris – as I have said before, I have always been in love with this city. For most of my life I have dreamt of living here for some time and I am so glad to have had this chance. My love and appreciation for not only my home and my school in America have grown, but also my love and appreciation for America. I am still so grateful to be here and so glad to be learning everything that I am. But today it is cold and rainy and I am missing my American life.