Sari's Adventure: One Month Left

It's unbelievable. In one month, I will take the airplane home to Canada like I started in the beginning. Time to wrap up my exchange... where did my nine months go?! The clock ticks simultaneously though it seems like its rhythm is speeding up. Back in September, June was no where in my thoughts. June meant the last full month. June meant exams. June meant the beginning of good-byes. June meant so. far. away.

However reality decides to slap me awake from this dream-like, one-year fantasy and tells me that today is June 7th. My plane ticket home is on July 7th. Mon dieu. Je pars dans un mois. My Mexican and German exchange friends are leaving in one week already! This is it after all.

Today after my Friday classes of the second last week of lycée, my French friends threw to the three of us a surprise good-bye party at the school grounds. It surprised all of us incredibly how many friends showed up and how well planned and organized the event was. Thanks to especially Marine and Tiffany, the two girls who've helped us since the very beginning of lycée life, they've done such an amazing one-month job of preparing this event. (It was supposed to be a surprise but I already assumed there would be something as it was strange how my classmates were randomly whispering to each other. I am so glad I was right because I would have been disappointed if not haha! On the other hand, my other two exchange friends had NO idea.)

We each received a customized t-shirt that says "I ♥ Louhans" (my host village) with all of our friend's signatures and a huge poster that had our own respective country flag illustrated, covered with kind messages written by everyone. I laughed hard-core and deeply appreciated each comment on the poster as I read them today, but I know that in a month, I would probably cry instead when I hang it in my room in Canada. I would share to you all of them, but here's one that I found very thoughtful:

Quand on aime, on ne compte pas.

Reviens en France dès que tu peux.

Tu vas énormement me manques.

Je t'aime énormement et je t'oublierai jamais ma japonaise.

Tu m'as beaucoup étonné pendant toute l'année.

N'oublie pas ton passage chez nous.

Bonne continuation pour la suite et fais attention à toi, je t'aime.

Marine

(ps: reviens avec la famille!)

In English:

When we love each other, the love is immeasurable.

Return to France as soon as you can.

I will miss you enormely.

I love you enormely and I will never forget you, my Japanese girl

Never forget your time with us.

Good luck for the future and take care of yourself, I love you.

Marine

(ps: return with your family!)

The three of us also did a short speech to everyone and for mine, I ended it like always without on purpose: Crying (Of course it's no surprise, you would say.) Even though I explained that this year has been exceptional and I am grateful to be surrounded by so many kind friends, it is impossible to convey how much they mean to me. They always look after me and are always curious about my life before in Canada. When I have French homework that I don't understand, they help me immediately. At times when there's one of those strict French professeurs who comes around and gives me a harsh feedback, they sympathize me and said not to worry (... plus adding that he/she was just an old bastard, which makes me laugh.) They are the reason why my time at school has been much, much more than "worthwhile". They are the ones who made exchange truly enjoyable.