I'm certainly making the most of my last few weeks abroad. My friends and I have gotten pretty inseparable, seeing each other basically every single day. We went to Marseille this weekend, in 2 weeks I have a girls weekend to Monte Carlo planned, and every weekend day in between is booked. Still, talk of the end has arrived. I finally forced myself to look at my plane ticket home. December 19, 3 1/2 weeks away.
Following so many words of happiness- "incroyable," "contente," "magique,"- goodbye will be the hardest one to say. How do you say goodbye to the first place you were ever immediately and unwaveringly happy? The first place you ever built a life completely on your own? And how do you tell your family and friends that it's so hard to leave?
In my writing class last week we had a discussion and somebody expressed this sentiment. You don't want them to think you don't love and miss them, but you can't go home and pretend that a piece of you isn't still in Aix.
My writing teacher pointed out that the fact that we're here at all means someone back home is supporting us, so I guess we just have to trust that they're happy that we had such a life-changing experience and will put up with our period of moping and incessant stories.
And of course, we'll have to talk to our Aix friends, the only ones who completely understand our period of readjustment and what will surely be mixed emotions, often. By talking to them and keeping the changes that we underwent here alive at home, we'll be able to accept that we have to return to reality after what seemed like an incredible dream.