merci. // thank you.

when i first pictured coming to france, i thought it would be the best thing that ever happened to me. i pictured the stereotypical french life, only, with me in it this time. i wanted so badly for this trip to be that cliche french experience so that i could come back and say, yes, i did wear a beret everyday or sure, i sipped an espresso every morning. but, when i actually got here... it wasn't like that... at all.

at first, i didn't understand... how could living in france be so different from how i had imagined? why on earth, did i take the toilet being in the same as the bathroom for granted? why had i thought that european schooling was so much superior? why do i not appreciate the food i eat at home? after contemplating why not even a sliver of my french fantasy was going to come true, i realized that all my questioning was plainly and simply culture shock. all of you have read my blogs -- i was a fish out of water.

though i had spoken to camille via email and facebook chat, i was still thrown into a completely unknown setting. but, being forced to speak in french helped me improve and before i knew it, i had adjusted to life here. my french sisters enjoyed spending time with me and my french mom and dad made their best efforts to giving me the best experience i could have here. there's nothing more that i could've asked for -- other than more bread, of course.

i found out that there is nothing more rewarding than having strangers comment on your language skills or compliment your character. living in france has taught me more about myself than i imagined it would -- i have a renewed zest for life, an increased openness, a better sense of adventure and interest in the global cultures. i now know that i can stand on my own and communicate effectively (even if i do get those confused looks occasionally...). but, the most important thing i will take away from this experience, is the importance of family. i had never gotten homesick until i came to france and then boom! it hit me like a bus. i couldn't function properly. i didn't want to be in the same room when my french family embraced each other because it made me miss my family too much. basically, it was the most uncomfortable feeling i have ever experienced. do you get the picture...?

anyhow, i think that everything happens for a reason. i came to france to experience the culture and put my three years of french study to use. but, what i took from this trip was more than i bargained for. my french family is really close -- i can tell that even when the girls are on the floor wrestling or pulling each other's hair out, they love each other. when they embrace their parents, you can tell how much they mean to them -- it makes me realize how much i love my family. it's true when they say that you don't realize what you've got until you lose it. of course, i didn't "lose" my family... but i didn't have easy access to them, and i really missed that. it's not easy coming to a foreign country by yourself, but i am so grateful that i had a hard time here because it gave me this sense of strength that i know i didn't have before. for everything i gained from this experience, i believe some "merci's" or "thank you's" are in order:

thank you, mom and dad, for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to come to france and live here for two whole weeks. thank you, mme z, for teaching me how to speak french and for organizing one of the best experiences of my life. thank you, to the the language and friendship program, for matching me with the best french family i could ask for. thank you, to my french family for giving me a real insight to your culture and for accepting me! thank you... so much.

love you guys and SEE YOU TOMORROW!
xoxo,
jyothi