From Paris to Portugal: December 2010

I remembered that it was December and that I finally had to update this again. Then I remembered this is my last month in my study abroad program here in Paris. As of yesterday, there are two weeks before I leave. It won't be forever. In fact, I will be spending and week in Amiens, France with my French family, and then my good friend KATIE LUNDSTROM and I will spend December 26th to January 1st in Paris.

Usually the "last" blog of one's study abroad trip is one of reflection (which I typed in French before erasing because it's a misspelled word in English), but I really don't want to do that right now, reflect on the last four months and how much I've loved my time here in Paris. It'll just probably make me sad to think about all the ridiculous, funny, frustrating and significant moments I've experienced in Paris. De toute façon, I'll still be here in January, traveling back and forth between Paris and other European cities (Budapest, Geneva / Berlin, Amsterdam, and London) before finally going to Portugal for Spring semester. Seriously, can anyone tell me where the time went?

For the most part, I feel like time has moved quickly. It's only when I skyped with my family yesterday that I realized how far away they are! It was about 9:30 at night here in Paris and around 12:30 in sunny San Jose, CA. They were having lunch after church and I just looked at them, eating a giant chocolate coin that my Mom sent me, and realized how much I missed them. Talks about Thanksgiving, hearing about the latest family drama at Vavo's, seeing all the animals and making random jokes made me do that thing with my face that signifies "This is kinda hard. I miss them".

And then on the other side, there's that moment of awakening that you are soon going somewhere else, leaving Paris for another city in a country that you don't really know. This morning on the metro we stopped because of some traffic right over the Seine river. I love crossing over the Seine because I can see the Notre Dame and Eiffel tower right from the metro car. Even though it's a rule not to smile on the metro, I smile everytime. That, and when someone is playing the guitar and singing "Aicha". Yes. I'll be leaving that soon, but for another city, another adventure really, but one in which I honestly have no idea what to expect! I came to France with the ability to communicate easily and with a knowledge of French culture because of my past experiences. And even though I am half Portuguese and grew up around some very Portuguese Portuguese, I still feel like I'm flying into the unknown. Maybe it's the fact I'm taking EasyJet and the ticket was dirt cheap. Another European mystery, I suppose.

Quoi qu'il en soit, I know everything will work out. God has really encouraged me this semester, and obviously all the worries I had before France about classes at the university and meeting people are not worries now. Evidence of His love. I have been blessed this semester. The 17 of us. The professors. The nouveau jour, nouveau parfum group. All the People I met at the Hideout. Le chat orange. Hillsong Church. Teuta. Erica. Mariel. Flo. Laurent. Aicha, of course. The grandma that I live with and her Golden Girls friends. I really don't know if I could have asked for a better study abroad experience here in Paris, my third home.

Next blog: Maybe a final au revoir to Paris, or maybe bemvindo to Coimbra. Or something in between.