October 24, 2014

Sometimes I feel like I am expected to be having the most perfect time in France, but sometimes I have days where I am very content and others where I just feel down. So yes, studying abroad is definitely an up and down experience. I can say personally that I've had more ups than downs and feel very much at home here. So I have plenty of things to be grateful for. I appreciate the friends I've made at IES who I'm going to miss at the end of this semester. Sometimes though, I do get tired of being around the same small group of students at the center, so I am very much looking forward to a short solo vacation. I think I am used to doing solitary things in France since that's what I did mostly during my last visit; solo sightseeing, but I also love visiting places in Nantes with friends. It's a balance I try to keep.

I had a lovely time sightseeing with Christine today. I think I confused her a bit though when I tried practicing speaking Spanish with her, plus throwing out Italian phrases. She was like, "What language are you speaking now?" So when in doubt, we speak mostly together in French, which is great!! We visited a hidden, tucked away location, le chemin de la grotte, where there is a mini version of the Lourdes grotto. I was so happy visiting it that I can't imagine what it will be like visiting the actual grotto in Lourdes itself. I always love visiting sacred sites, or shrines. It reminded me of a small shrine I visited in Mexico that was along the roadside. I think shrines, intimate, small chapels can serve a purpose in our fast paced world reminding us to slow down, to take in the spaces where we stand. I will definitely go back for another visit. France has so many hidden treasures to offer like these off the beaten path.

 The mini grotto of Lourdes tucked away in Nantes 

Afterward we visited another one of my favorite parks in Nantes, le parc de Gaudinière. I'm definitely going back there for another run. It's so beautiful and there are so many hidden paths to take. Christine is a wonderful traveling companion in general, very calm with a lovely smile. We have plenty in common with our love for studying languages and I love hearing about her life in Madrid and Florida. She is a part of two worlds and I think I'm beginning to have that more in my own life just being here. It's a gift.

 Le parc de Gaudinière

 Me and Christine

 Views of Nantes, a city I love living in