AU REVOIR LA FRANCE !!!

Leaving Louhans was not a horrible and emotional experience as I have imagined in my dreams.  (I dreamt about my good-byes since the beginning of my exchange, and yes, it’s considered as a nightmare for an exchange student.)  Instead parting from the village with tears and uncountable tissue packs, it felt good to conclude at this moment of my year because I felt proud of myself for how much I’ve integrated into this French life and how much I enjoyed it, simply. 
 
For me, this place was not longer a remote, middle-aged Burgundian village; it was also where I considered as my home, made countless numbers of friends, connections with families and learned about their language and culture.  It was where I’ve done my firsts and lasts.  It was also a place where I made mistakes, had problems yet rebounded in full spirit.  Altogether, it was a place where it allowed me to venture on one of the biggest journeys of my life.   I’m saying that it’s “one of the biggest” because I know that adventuring is a hobby that I can never stop.  It has always been my passion to travel and discover new things, people and ideas so I know that there will be more journeys to come in my future.

 

I smiled when I left Louhans as I told myself that time’s up and I need to wrap up my year abroad.  It has been an incredibly fun experience but I feel prepared to head back to my Canadian home to share to my family, my friends and the Rotary about it.  Ready to shift back into my normal lifestyle.  Ready to say I did it.

This is finally it.  July 7^th, the day I take my plane back to Canada is now within hours.   I have already left my host-village Louhans yesterday as my host mom, older host sister and I went to Grenoble, a city located below Geneva and Lyon, near the Italian frontier. 

Grenoble is surrounded three sides by 2000m to 3000m mountains despite the altitude of the city itself is 200m from sea level.  It is the most southern city in France I’ve visited during my year.  There, my host sister will do her first-year at a university from September so she and my host mom looked for an apartment which she’ll move in soon.  (In France, most public universities only allow less wealthy students to live in their campus unlike my host sister who needs to find her own lodgement.)  Therefore during their search, I was lucky to visit the city with her grandparents who lived nearby.

Gondola we took up to the Bastille, a medieval fortress

At the top with a panoramic view of Grenoble



Downtown of Grenoble

Ate my last lunch at a chic café where I ordered one of the city’s specialties, Ravioles au bleu de Sassenage (Raviolis with SUPER delicious blue cheese) and Diablo violet (tonic water with ‘violet’ syrup) which tasted like the drink Shirley temple but carbonated and without juice.  SO GOOD ♥

 

 

At dusk, we strolled in a village near the city and the sky was so beautiful

 
My last day was a great conclusion of my stay in France and I wish to come visit this country again but with my family next time.  Nothing about my exchange could have been better thanks to everyone who’ve helped me along.

 

Anyways I better get going because you know, I’M COMIN HOME CANADA !!!

Sari

 

ps: I will update what I did since the last day of lycée when I arrive home!