Sunday night, I logged into my computer and watched the graduation ceremony live from my room in Spain. I think this is one of the first times that I've been here that I really wished I could go back. I realized as all of the names were read, the number of graduates that have a special place in my life. I am so proud of all of them and I am so excited to see how they are all going to shine in their perspective careers and studies. It also was a huge wake up call because when I get back to Maryville, I will have only one year left. I have learned over the past three years that time flies all too quickly and I know that I have to take advantage of every moment next year while I have the opportunity to.
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| Toulouse! |
Living abroad has really influenced the way I look at my future in general. I am not sure which direction I want to go in after Maryville, but if I know one thing, it is that my passion for cultural differences and the opportunity to share these is stronger than ever. I love the challenge and the difficulties that come with living in a new culture and its the type of challenge that I want to continue to face throughout my life.
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| Biarritz |
Thinking about all of this is a bit overwhelming, but I am also making sure to take advantage of the time and experience that I have now. Maddie and I have set, our travel dates, bought our tickets, and the next leg of my European journey is on the horizon! As of a week ago, I had only spent my time abroad exploring different parts of Spain but it was about time for me to venture a bit more into Europe!
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| Rooftop views of Toulouse |
With this in mind, this past weekend, I embarked on a journey to Toulouse, France with a group of friends. It's pretty cool because we realized that the five of us represented, 5 native languages and countries and 4 different continents. Me, the USA and English obviously, but we also had Mia, representing French and France, Gustavo with Brazil and Portuguese, Eduardo, Mexico and Spanish, and Eikichi Japan and Japanese.
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| Toulouse |
One of my favorite memories is of all of us sitting in a park next to the river in Toulouse. We each took a turn sharing a story or a joke or a song in our native language. Experiences like this are to me what studying abroad is all about. We were able to connect and enjoy a bit of each others' culture, even with language differences. It was also interesting to see that many of us knew the same stories with minute differences such as the names of the characters.
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| It was all sooooo yummy! |
Toulouse was beyond gorgeous and we were lucky to have great weather and beautiful skies. I enjoyed getting to see the city from a local's point of view and Mia really knew the best places to go and all of the must sees. She was a great city guide and an even better host. I am so thankful that her family was so welcoming and made us truly feel at home. It was really nice to be in a house and with a family for even just a weekend. I also didn't mind that Mia's mom is a fabulous cook and there really is nothing like waking up to fresh french baked goods and warm crepes!
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| The weekend crew |
There is a lot happening in the next few weeks and I could not be more excited and sad at the same time. The end always is the most fun, but it also goes the quickest. I'll continue to report on the adventures that come at me!
