one month.

So yesterday was the ‘one month’ mark. And I can’t decide if it feels like a lifetime, or a matter of minutes.

My french has really improved, but I need a few more months before being bilingual, I think that by around Christmas time I will be.

I know that I have gotten over the first big hump, the hardest part, the cutting the cords part. But really, the cords are never cut, just loosened. Now when I am tiered I think about my bed here, when I am hungry I crave food here, my mind and body has reconnected itself. When I think about leaving this town, it makes me sad. This is my other home. And it always will be.

About a week ago, everything fell into a routine (that’s a good thing). That is when I really knew that I was comfy here. Bridget (the other exchange student in my class, who is from Florida), and I walk to the metro together after school. We go down the first flight of stairs together, and then we always split for the second, and I take the escalotor, and she takes the stairs right beside me. Its small things like that that make me comfy. My train always comes first.

On Wednesdays we only have 2 hours of classes, and are finished by 10am, so we take the metro to my house and make something. Last week was pancakes, this week is oatmeal chocolate-chunk cookies, next week is stuffed potaotes. But we are going to leave one Wednesday a month for pancakes.

On Saturdays I take the metro to Bridget’s house after school, and we will go for a swim, a run, play tennis, or work out in the family gym. To try too work off some of the bread (there is a lot of bread) and the goodies (lots of goodies too). we speak to eachother in a strange new language called "Ench" its a mix of english and french, and always brings us strange looks.

Yesterday I went on this 13km forest walk thing with my host family and the sporty Rotarians. We were given a map, a compass, and a list of clues. We had to follow them and then find the hidden markers in the trees and then stamp out page to prove we found it. They marked the time you started and the time you finished. And afterwards there was archery and yummy goodies. Once everyone had finished we took a little ferry across the Seine, and had dinner in a nice restaurant. Then they annonced the winners, and guess whose team won? OURS.  haha. So now I have a nice trophy to bring home.

So all in all, the first month has been great. The people are great, my friends are great, the food is great. Life is great. I am so thankful that I am here, and I want to thank all of you out there that helped get me here. Merci beaucoup!
(thats m host parents and me with our trophy)