Bonjour tout le monde! This is my first post, though I arrived here in Strasbourg on January 12th.
It's been almost a week. The first day was rough, but it's been getting so much better! Let me tell you how it started... What am I doing here? That's what I kept asking myself the evening I got to the apartment where my host mom lives. I had never felt more homesick in my life. I felt awful. In fact, I thought it was the worst day of my life, and I couldn't stop crying. I cried in front of everyone because I couldn't stop. I didn't even feel embarrassed; I was just so, so sad. I thought, I can't stay here for almost 5 months! I missed my house, my bed, my mom and dad, my boyfriend Jack, my guinea pig, my cats, and for some reason I felt so alone. I hadn't traveled alone though; Ally, a fellow student at my university, had the exact same itinerary as me (we had planned it). My host mom, Ida, was absolutely amazing. She was excited to see me, and she gave me a hug! And Alex, the director of my program, was incredibly helpful as well. So why was I so terribly sad? Well, I know it's normal. My family doesn't travel much, and I'd never lived anywhere but in Pennsylvania (in the country). This is a huge deal! I just didn't expect to be so unsettled. I know I never liked change, and I know it takes time to adjust, but I just completely fell apart. After Ida made me something to eat, I cried some more, and then I called my parents. It made me feel better to hear their voices, but I still longed more than anything to be back home with them. My dad offered comforting words and told me I needed sleep and the morning would be better. Then I called Jack, and he said the same thing. Since I had nothing else to do, I slept. I didn't change or take a shower or unpack. I just slept. When I started learning French in my sophomore year of high school, I fell in love with it. I love the way my voice sounds when I speak it, and I love how pretty the words look when written. And I really love patisseries! So, going to France was my DREAM. Being here in Strasbourg, this was me living the dream. I wanted to be excited! The first day I just wasn't. The huge change hit me all at once, and the traveling had made me exhausted. A dangerous mix. However, as horrible as I felt, I didn't want to quit. I knew I wasn't stuck here like some kind of prisoner and I could fly home, but I really wanted to give this huge change, a 5-year-long dream, a decent chance. à la prochaine fois, Elda
1 Comment
Anonymoose
1/18/2019 01:20:40
Fantastic dramatic buildup. Keep up the good work.
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AuthorHello! I'm Elda, a French/Anthropology major and Applied Language Studies minor studying in Strasbourg for a semester. Archives
May 2019
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