Was it all just a dream ? Being home feels as if I never left ; never packed up my bags and embarked on the crazy adventure that lay before me. Now that it is all over, I can attest to the fact that it was even more life-changing than I could have ever imagined it would be. I am a changed person. That being said, I also cannot deny that it has been a bit of a struggle settling back into the flow of things, since life is so much different here in the U.S. What once used to be familiar to me now seems so strange, out-of-place, and new. Getting behind the wheel for the first time in four months, I got lost driving somewhere I have gone a million times before. My brain is still imprinted with the map of Aix’s beautiful narrow streets. I do not want that image to ever go away, even though I know that it eventually will.
All the tangibility of Aix has now dissipated into vague memories and photographs; all that remains to touch are the souvenirs that I brought back, and even some of those have been eaten. I think that the most difficult part about adjusting is that I was just so adapted to living in France. Aix became a second home to me ; it is a city that will always hold my heart. I have no negative thought or thing to say about my experience abroad. Every second was spent to the absolute fullest and I have no regrets. Well, maybe the only regret is that I wish I never had to leave. Every fiber of my being did not want to get on that plane. These feelings of mine, also shared among many of us near the end, bear testament to the inexplicable experiences one can have abroad. I would share them all on here, but the terminology does not exist for what I would try to put into words. All I can say is that it was the best four months of my life.
All the tangibility of Aix has now dissipated into vague memories and photographs; all that remains to touch are the souvenirs that I brought back, and even some of those have been eaten. I think that the most difficult part about adjusting is that I was just so adapted to living in France. Aix became a second home to me ; it is a city that will always hold my heart. I have no negative thought or thing to say about my experience abroad. Every second was spent to the absolute fullest and I have no regrets. Well, maybe the only regret is that I wish I never had to leave. Every fiber of my being did not want to get on that plane. These feelings of mine, also shared among many of us near the end, bear testament to the inexplicable experiences one can have abroad. I would share them all on here, but the terminology does not exist for what I would try to put into words. All I can say is that it was the best four months of my life.