Are you ready?

I found this on the AFS group on facebook, and I loved it so much. It sums up basically what I'm feeling, and it just makes me think. It also makes me realize how much exchange has actually affected my life. 

"In a couple of weeks we will reluctantly give our hugs and, fighting the tears,we will say goodbye to people who were once just names on a sheet of paper to return to people that we hugged and fought tears to say goodbye to before we ever left.
We will leave our best friends to return to our best friends.
We will go back to the places we came from, and go back to the same things we did last summer and every summer before.
We will come into town on that same familiar road, and even though it has been months, it will seem like only yesterday.
As you walk into your old bedroom, every emotion will pass through you as you reflect on the way your life has changed and the person you have become.
You suddenly realize that the things that were most important to you a year ago don't seem to matter so much anymore, and the things you hold highest now, no one at home will completely understand.
Who will you call first?
What will you do your first weekend home with your friends?
Where are you going to work?
Who will be at the party Saturday night?
What has everyone been up to in the past few months?
Who from school will you keep in touch with?
How long before you actually start missing people barging in without calling or knocking?
Then you start to realize how much things have changed, and you realize the hardest part of being an exchange student is balancing the two completely different worlds you now live in, trying desperately to hold on to everything all the while trying to figure out what you have to leave behind.
We now know the meaning of true friendship.
We know who we have kept in touch with over the past year and who we hold dearest to our hearts.
We've left our worlds to deal with the real world.
We've had our hearts broken, we've fallen in love, we've helped our best friends overcome eating disorders, depression, stress, and death. We've lit candles at the grotto and we've stayed up all night on the phone just to talk to a friend in need.
There have been times when we've felt so helpless being hours away from home when we know our families or friends needed us the most, and there are times when we know we have made a difference.
Just weeks from now we will leave.
Just weeks from now we take down our pictures, and pack up our clothes.
No more going next door to do nothing for hours on end. We will leave our friends whose random e-mails and phone calls will bring us to laughter and tears this summer, and hopefully years to come.
We will take our memories and dreams and put them away for now, saving them for our return to this world.
Just weeks from now we will arrive.
Just weeks from now we will unpack our bags and have dinner with our families. We will drive over to our best friend's house and do nothing for hours on end.
We will return to the same friends whose random emails and phone calls have brought us to laughter and tears over the year.
We will unpack old dreams and memories that have been put away for the past year.
In just weeks we will dig deep inside to find the strength and conviction to adjust to change and still keep each other close.
And somehow, in some way, we will find our place between these two worlds.
In just weeks.
Are you ready?".

One month to go !

Bonjour!

Wow time is flying by! I officially have a month left until I see my family in Germany and I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. It's almost been 4 months that I've been here and it feels as if just yesterday I was on a plane all nervous and scared to be living alone in a whole new culture. 

Looking back at who I was on the plane makes me realize how much I have changed now. Not in a bad way of course, but I have become so much more knowledgeable of the world around me and I see my life in a whole different way. I am so much more thankful and positive now, because here in France, especially at the beginning, tiny things would make me extremely happy. Even being able to complete a sentence in french would make my day at the beginning! I've become a stronger, more responsible, mature, grown up girl in a short 4 months. AND I'm now fluent in three languages!! Being an exchange student was the best decision I have ever made in my life, but it was also the hardest. Things are much easier now, but at the beginning things were extremely difficult at times. Being so far away from home, all alone, in a different culture, forcibly changes you. And I am thankful for the new outlook I have on life and myself now.

Anyways, I have been very busy as usual these past weeks. France has a new president! These last two weeks France has been extremely busy with elections. The new presidents name is Francois Hollande. He is from the socialist party and he won with 51% against the old president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Some french people are excited, while others say France is doomed. It's been interesting hearing many different opinions! French politics oddly interest me a lot these days.

These past two weeks I was on vacation, and this last Monday I started school again. Vacation was awesome! The first week, my beautiful friend Courtney came to visit me. While she was here we went to Monaco, Cannes, Ville Franche, and we explored Nice. We did some shopping and we ate out at some lovely restaurants. It was great seeing her after two months! 

                                  Mika, Mariana, Timour and I on the way to the zoo.

During the last week of vacation, I took a train up to Toulon with Mariana and stayed with some friends from AFS. It was extremely fun! We went to the zoo, we cooked, stayed up late, watched movies, and talked. I also went wine tasting and to a rugby game with Mariana. It was my first rugby game and it was crazy! So loud and so much emotion filled the crowd! I had a lovely vacation, and now I only have a month left until I see my family! I'm excited to see my family and travel some of Europe, but I'm very sad I'll be having to say goodbye here soon. This experience has been life changing so far, and it's sad to see how fast it's going by. 

Au Revoir !!

J'adore la France!

 

I think it cut some of the last part off...like my goodbye but that's okay. I still was able to say the most important stuff. I decided to do a video this time since it's faster and easier, and so everyone can see my my face!! I hope everyone is doing good! I am loving it here! Miss everyone! :)

And life goes on...

Wow it's been a very long time since I have blogged and I apologize for that! I am loving France! I have been rather busy this last month with school, two week vacation, Carnival, exploring, etc. This past Monday was my first day back to school after a two week break. My french school has a two week break every six weeks, which is super cool since in Bend we only have one, two week break all year! I think they have more breaks here to make up for the amount of time you are actually in school per day (I get out of school at 5:30pm on a normal day, and start at 8am).

Anyways, during the break I was pretty entertained most of the time. During the first week, I experianced the famous Carnival! I went to the main Carnival at night (which was super fun, with the lights and the loud music) where everyone dresses up and dances around, and I also went to the Bataille de Fleurs (Battle of Flowers) where these beautiful floats made out of all real flowers throw out flowers for people to catch. It was exciting to fight for a bouquet of flowers and I'm proud to say I did catch a few!! I also went to the final closing ceremony of Carnival, in which they light fireworks over the ocean and play some music. It was absolutely beautiful seeing the fireworks light up the ocean while we sat on the beach eating dinner. 

Also during the break I hung out with friends a few times, which felt nice. We went to the beach and out to lunch. Going to the beach in Nice is usually what friends and I do, or we go shopping. I also went to Cannes, where the Cannes Film Festival is held (which I will be attending later on), and it was beautiful! The beach was not much different from the one in Nice, except for the fact that it was a sandy beach, and not rocky. Cannes overall isn't extremely different from Nice. It is just much more rich (as in many rich people everywhere), and has a nice sandy beach. At first I went to Cannes with a friend and my host sister, then the next day my family and I took a small boat out to an island off of Cannes called Les Iles de Lérins where they make very expensive wines (Chardonney, Syrah, Pinot Noir) that were about 230 euros a bottle!! Besides the expensive wines, the island was extremely beautiful! It was super green with a gorgeous beach that had crystal blue water. There were many boats by the island with people swimming or fishing around them. It was a relaxing, and beautiful little trip. :)

So vacation was extremely fun, and very relaxing. It was nice to have a break from school even though I hadn't been in school for that long... I think the first weeks of school were the hardest because of the language barrier and all. Where as now I am just getting more used to it, and being able to speak french MUCH better definitely helps because I can actually understand a lot of what the teacher says now. I am now actually able to participate, and discuss certain small topics with the class.

BUT as far as actually LIKING school... it's okay. I do think I had much more motivation to go to school in Bend than here though. Thats probably because in Bend I could actually do work I usually enjoy, and I have a great group of friends I got to see everyday. Here, I have to wake up super early, and go to a classroom filled with people I barely know and sit for hours listening to a teacher talk and write on the board about stuff I barely understand. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy listening to french, and I am trying extremely hard everyday, and it's not BAD at all. It's just hitting me that this is actually hard... and it's not going to get easier very soon.
I think when I first got here I always expected the difficulties, and I knew school was going to be hard, but I also knew that it would get easier. And I think I told myself a bit too often that it was going to get easier after the first month or so. But no. It might never get easier. I have a good 12 or so weeks left of school all together, and I think in some ways it will get easier, but overall it's going to be a good challenge everyday. The students in my class just got their grades back and more than half of them did very bad. So if they're struggling, then I don't think this will ever be "easy" for me. But as always, I am going to try my hardest everyday.

As far as friends go, I am doing good! But I've kinda of realized I don't constantly need people around me to be happy. I am not worried about making great, strong friends or not while I'm here, although I am glad I have met many people.

France is nothing like the USA or Argentina or Latin America in general where the girls and boys my age LOVE going out. When I went to school in Argentina, all the girls wanted to hang out the first day I got there. And everyone goes dancing or they hang out every weekend. And in the USA, well I have my friend group. So I am constantly with friends.
Here, no one really does much outside of school. It's not only me, but most girls here just go straight home after school or hangout with their boyfriends or family on the weekends. Maybe it's because it's not summer yet, or maybe it's because the school days are so long, or maybe it's just because it's a different culture overall. But, don't get me wrong. I'm not a loner who has no friends either. I eat lunch with friends, I've hung out with people, and I get along with everyone in my class. But I am definitely more alone here than I ever have been anywhere else. And honestly, it doesn't bother me one bit.
My whole life I have been constantly with people around me. My family, and my friends most of the time. When I got here, it took me sometime to realize I am all alone. I am not with my family, nor my friends. Nor am I in my usual routine.
Sometimes I enjoy being alone, but other times I really miss my life back home. As hard as this can be at times, I can feel myself becoming a much more mature, and strong girl. Of course there are those times where I miss my family so much that I just wish I was home, there are also times in school where I get sad because I miss my friends and I miss my schooling system. Sometimes I even miss the ice cold days in Bend that I usually hate. But I keep thinking to myself that this is going to make me a stronger person, even if I don't realize it right now, and I want to be able to look back at this experience and say, "gee that was SO AWESOME!"

It's almost been two months that I've been away from home, so the homesick feeling comes and goes more often than before. But that doesn't mean I am not enjoying it here. I am so thankful for being here. And I am very grateful for my lovely host family, who make me feel at home, and who take very good care of me. I get along with both my host sisters very well, and my host little brother is super cute. My host parents make me feel safe and comfortable here as well, which is something I need being so far away from home. 
I only have 4 months left here (maybe 3 months until I see my family!) so I know I better enjoy every moment of it, since time will fly by. Especially seeing that these last two months or so have flown by.

I love France, and I know I am going to miss it when I leave. I love living by the ocean, and I love speaking french. No matter how much I miss Bend, and no matter how many times I say Bend is my home, I know that this is my home as well. I have many "homes" now. I have many places where I have loved ones, and where I have friends and family. There are many places in the world that I miss. But I am enjoying everyday of France, and I will enjoy everyday of any "home" I live in.


Au revoir toute le monde!! Bisous!! 
Hannah :)

                                                                                          

Now it's real!

Today I have been living in Nice, France for two weeks! And I have officially been away from home for three weeks now. These three weeks have flown by, which makes me realize how fast this whole trip is going to go by. I only have 5 months left now.. even a little less than 5 months! In these next 5 months, I want to experience everything to its fullest. I want to enjoy everyday and night of my time here, even if its hard.

I started school the first week I was here. And it's going pretty good! It's fun! The people are nice, and the staff and teachers are all very welcoming. One staff member gave me a jar of jam the first day I was there! The whole school system is EXTREMELY different from Bend though. The days here are much longer, and when a teacher is absent, class is simply canceled. Substitutes do not exist. Teachers have no connection with the students what so ever, and they write a lot on the board while the students just copy. The students also seem to be more advanced. They are learning some things I still have never even heard about! And they're mostly younger than me! It's interesting to experience the schooling system in another country. I don't believe it's better or worse, it's just different. But for me, of course, it's quite harder. Especially since it's all in french. And I've realized people in the South of France tend to speak much faster (maybe it's just me, but in Paris they spoke much slower) making it hard to understand anything the teacher is saying. But of course, I am trying my best! I copy everything on the board, I do all my homework, I ask the teachers questions, I ask the students questions, and I try to read and comprehend the passages given in the books. So as time goes on, I think I'll get the hang of it :)

The first week or so that I was here I was so excited that I never stopped to think about home and my friends or family. I was so excited about my new life that I didn't have time to "miss." Now as I am entering my third week in France, I am more settled down and I am beginning a good daily routine. As nice as it is, I now have the time to "miss." I don't miss anyone SO much that I am super sad or wanting to go home or anything like that (sorry everyone). I do LOVE it here and it will be hard having to return back to the USA. I haven't even had a bad day here yet! But, I am missing my daily routine back in Bend a bit more than before. I also miss my family and friends more than I did. I think it is because I see many things around me that remind me of people back home, even small things like seeing a little girl running down the street or hearing a cat meow. It is a natural feeling though -- missing home. And I understand that. So I just keep looking up and remembering how great of an experience this is. And it's only for six months, so I better enjoy every second of it, because like I said, it's flying by. The good thing is I am very busy here. With dance (which I love), school, activities, and a whole city to explore I tend to stay quite entertained and happy.

Today was a GREAT day! We took a hike around a small peninsula named Saint Jean Cap Ferrat (which was BEAUTIFUL because it was right on the edge of the ocean) and had a lovely lunch at a little town called Ville Franche sur Mer, which is also right on the ocean (hence the "sur mer"). It was a sunny day today which made the ocean look spectacular! I adore the ocean, so being able to live by it is extraordinary.

  

(A picture I took on our hike today. Beautiful!) 

Tomorrow I have school! So we'll see how that goes. I am here to learn and experience France, and school helps me with that, even if I am not friends with everyone in the class. I am loving it here, and my host family is awesome. I am so fortunate to be able to stay with them for the next five months! They are truly wonderful people. They are very kind, funny, we all get along, and they take great care of me! I am excited to keep exploring this city, and learn more each day. Everyday I can feel myself understanding more and more french, and being able to say a few more things. I can't wait until the day where I can say I am fluent!

Au Revoir! 

Hannah <3

Arrival in Nice, France

Wow.. So I have finally arrived! After one week of traveling here and there I am finally in Nice all settled down. New York was beautiful of course, and Paris even more so. I almost passed out at looking at the Eiffel Tower and I almost peed my pants seeing Le Louvre. Paris is absolutely amazing! It was a tad cold, but I was used to it because of Bend. The girls I met while traveling around were super great. I met girls who understood me, and who had traveled as much as me. It was a great feeling to be able to talk about my love of traveling with other girls who understood. I also feel like I now have people I can talk to when I am feeling sad, or missing home, because we're all in this together.

Traveling to another country all alone, and being surrounded by people you have never met, and who speak a different language is quite the adventure. But the people you meet on your way, the things you learn, the way you grow, and the bonds you create are all worth the difficulties you face.

After Paris, I said goodbye to the good friends I had met, and I hoped on a train (my first time on such a train, and let me tell you, they are SUPER fun! They go soooo fast!) to Nice. When I arrived, I was overly excited but a bit nervous as well. What was I going to say to my new family? Should I hug them or shake their hand? But as soon as I saw my two host sisters everything I had prepared to say or do vanished, and I just ran up and hugged them both. It was super exciting! And they were as I had expected, extremely friendly and smiley and welcoming. I could tell that we were all going to get along well right then.

The ride back home was fun. We listened to music and sang along, they asked me some questions but they also let me relax, for I slept half the car ride home haha. When we entered Nice, I woke up and saw some of the city as we drove by. My first impression was that it was absolutely beautiful. It looks older than most cities I have been to, but that adds a good feel to it. It has history, and that makes me eager to learn all about it. When I saw the ocean I just about fainted! It was SOOO nice!!! Whoever knows me well knows I have a great passion for the ocean and sea life, so actually LIVING by the ocean is an incredible gift. I am so thankful for this opportunity.

My new home is very very nice. Its kind of modern and a good size. The house looks very zen-y if that makes any sense. It has a good ambiance... and my room is super cool! I sleep on a loft bed. It's like a big room and then some stairs that go up to the bed. Its very nice! The window shades are electric..which got me excited:) I have a desk, a tv, a big closet, and a couch in my room. I share with my host sister, Lara, on the weekends and on Wednesday night. She sleeps on the couch (futon) when she does sleep over.

The family is incredibly sweet! There are five people (now six!) all together. Two beautiful younger sisters, Lara and Geraldine, and a cute little four year-old brother named Matteo. Sabrina is my host mother, and Eric is my host father. Oh and a cat, Tweety, who is super cute and fun. He reminds me of my orange cat back home, Thor:) I already feel very welcome here and I have just arrived. They are very loving, and they make me feel safe and at home. Geraldine (blond in pic) is the cutest girl you will ever meet! Lara (brunette in pic) is super sweet and funny, and Matteo is adorable! He is a jumpy little boy full of energy. He talks a bunch which is awesome so I can learn french! I understand him quite well since his vocabulary isn't as developed as the others in the family.

They are super nice, and fun to be around. They can be funny and loud just like my family, but they can also be very relaxed and comfortable. They are truly a perfect fit. Back home, my family is very loud and happy and we sing and dance, but we also have time to ourselves and we can be super calm some days, and I feel like this family is the same. Although I do not know them very well yet, I believe it is a good fit:)

I appreciate how patient they are with me because my French is not very good right now. The language barrior can be hard. I can't express myself as well, and I can't be as funny as I am back home. Back home, I talk all the time and I am very outgoing. Here I am as well, but it is harder since I can only say so much. My family only talks to me in French, which is awesome so I learn quickly but of course it takes time to explain some things to me. I am a bit nervous for school, since they teens will talk quickly and I probably won't understand anything the teacher says, but I think in time I'll catch on and understand it all. Then when I get home I'll be fluent in french!

Tomorrow is my first day of school. So everyone wish me luck! I did African dancing last night which was a blast! It was a good excersise, so I am going to be doing that every week (great so I have an activity to do over here). I met some of Geraldine's friends as well. They were all very nice! I hope they are as patient as my family is with my french:P My school is quite modern and big. It's pretty cool! I'll post more pictures soon.

My new way of life overall seems quite nice. I've only been here for a few days, so I'm not sure of much right now. But I think everything will go great:) This is going to be such an amazing experience!

Miss you all.
Hannah<3

NEW YORK!!! and the goodbyes...

 I left Bend, OR. That was quite hard honestly... people don't really warn you on how hard saying goodbye will be. I understand that 6 months isn't EXTREMELY long, and it'll go by fast, but saying "goodbye" is very hard. But now that its over I'm getting more and more excited to live in Nice, France :)

But...Cj and I are in New York now! This is my first time ever in the "city that never sleeps" and it is BEAUTIFUL. A lot less sketchy than I thought it would be, and quite clean for being a big city. Wonderful city lights -- which makes it look great at night! The people can be kind of snobby, but for the most part they are quite kind :) I'd even consider living here! Times Square was amazing all lit up (exactly what you see in the movies!) and Grand Central Station was breath taking. And from our apartment room, we can see the Statue of Liberty which is super cool too! I can't believe I never came here earlier. Now only two days until PARIS!!