Last day of class

Today, at 11 AM marked my last day of class in France and I am incredibly sad. My friends and I in my group all lingered in the classroom much longer than usual, saying that we didn't want to leave. Leaving would be so... final. I'll never see most of the people again who I've seen five days a week for the past three months. We listened to a song in class today ("Désolé pour hier soir" by Tryo), had candy, I drank my last hot chocolate from the magical espresso vending machine, and we played a quick game of French taboo. After class I made my last big grocery trip to Leclerc, started my Christmas shopping, found my mom's gift (but I won't tell you what it is!!) and made my way to the bus stop in the rain.

Over time my room has felt more and more like home and the less time I spend at home, the more calming the feeling is when I unlock my door and walk in. Tomorrow is the TCF (huge two-hour language exam that gives you an official, EU-recognized French level), the last USAC lunch downtown, and our pre-departure meeting about all the things we have to do before we leave and prepare for when we get home i.e. reverse culture shock. I'm definitely excited to be home, see all my family and friends again, eat familiar foods that are much more inexpensive, and relax for the holidays, but I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye to all of the great friends I've made here and ending this experience.

It must be time to start the next great adventure in life!