Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Random Ponderings of a Sick Girl in France

Me, myself and I took a road trip together.


I spend a lot of time with myself. Not necessarily alone, in fact I am often surrounded by many people. And I realized that I have been living with myself for 16 and a half years, and I never really met myself before.

When you are surrounded by a new language you spend a lot of time thinking, dreaming, and talking with yourself. I have learned a lot about myself that I didn’t know previously. Before this exchange I always ‘was’ because I always ‘had been’ but now, I have time to question every thing, every thought, every instinct. Now I ‘am’ because I choose to be.

I know myself through and through now. I know my weaknesses, and my strengths, I know my dreams, and my fears, I know my mind, I know my heart. I have learned what is important to me, what makes me tick. I had originally thought that I would never be able to be ‘myself’ here, with the new culture, new language, new people, in a new city. But I have learned that it is not the surroundings that make you who you are, its You. I am more myself here than i have ever been, thousands of miles away from anything I have ever known. And somehow that is the most freeing feeling I have ever experienced.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Italia

Okay, here we go. Italy.

I arrived on the 20th of December at Marco Polo airport in Venice. It was lucky that I got out of Paris because of all the snow. Most of the flights after mine we canceled. At Venice I was met by Jakob (a friend who was an exchange student in Courtenay last year) and his parents. From there it was a 2 and a bit hour drive through the mountains (which I could not see because it was night time) back to their house in Brunico.

I awoke the next morning to find myself in a winter wonderland in the heart of the Italian Alps. It was incredible.

That day we went into town (a 30 min drive away). And I was surrounded once again by building that are older than Canada. It was beautiful. A river runs through the town, and the building are all painted in different colours. It was a crisp -20 ish.

Christmas was wonderful, yet very different from what I am used too. It is celebrated on the 24th in the evening. The tree was beautiful with candles and silver decorations. As we opend our gifts the sparklers on the tree were lit, creating a magical vision.

After the holidays we took a 3 day trip to Rome. There I saw all the sights, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, the ancient ruins, a tour of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel and the Museum of Modern Art ect.

For new years we were back in Brunico. There was a live band playing in the town square for the countdown and lots of fireworks. Hello 2010.

On my last day we climbed a mountain for 3 hours to get to the restaurant at the top. After eating we sledded down (which only took 30 min-ish). The view was incredible.

I flew out of Venice on the 4th of January to return to France. I went straight to a new host family. It is kind of exciting to move, I am a lot closer to town, and I am in a beautiful house, and the family is very kind. But on the other hand I miss my old family a bit. Like I said, when you arrive you are like a baby, and it is your first host family that "raises" you and introduces you to this strange new world. I think that it is for that reason that so many people are so close to the first family. However, I think that I will settle in just fine here. :)

I have no school today, because it snowed (only about 2 inches...) and it is supposed to snow again tonight. The city has come to complete halt, and looks beautiful.

I have had a wonderful past month, full of memories and good food.

-arlie

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Long Time, No Write....Sorry About That

So it has been almost a month now since I wrote an entry....very sorry indeed. I just got back yesterday after spending 2 wonderful, amazing (and internet-less) weeks in Italy. I had a wonderful Christmas that was full of new traditions and new foods, and I passed a very happy New Year (happy 2010 to all of you readers).

I am with a new family as of my return, and they are very friendly. I have 4 host brothers :s but only 2 live at home (ages 11 and 19). My host father is in Rotary, and also owns an industrial cleaning business.

My new room looks out across the city (the house in on Mont Saint Aignan, a big hill that overlooks Rouen). At night time is looks so beautiful, a thousand twinkling lights below me.

I am uber tired right now though, and so I will write a longer entry tomorrow (I promise!). It is supposed to snow tomorrow, and that means no bus, which means no school (when I say that it will snow, I really mean that about an inch of snow will fall throughout the day, but here that is enough to send everyone into panick mode). I have many photos to show you all.

I hope everyone passed a wonderful holiday season, and a very happy new year.

All my best wishes,
arlie (the long lost blog writer...)