Pufferfish@

I honestly thought that I had posted something after my return from France. In any case, I will get the photos up soon and comment on them and what not... as soon as I get them organized and have time to upload them. With that said...
The exchange was absolutely wonderful. I have a more distant perspective of the events happening around me and a rekindle in desire. Desire for knowledge, maturity, a passion; I feel rather alive. I don't know what else to say. I loved being surrounded by a foreign language, a new culture, history. I've realized that I would be happy learning more languages, travelling to more places. In college, I am definately going to look into studying for a semester in France or anywhere else if it is possible.

When I was younger, around grade-school, I always thought that when I grew up I would like to be a Palentologist or Archeologist (except for Egyptian tombs, because I was afraid of being cursed). However, malgré passion and interest, the option seemed closed since I entered Middle School and took priorities in other things. Then, when I entered High School, it seemed like I wanted to be a Biological Scientist of somesorts. Now I am in my Junior year, and I have began studying other cultures in depth in my Cultural Connections course, and have made a student exchange in France... Through all this, I have either discovered or developed a deep longing for history and culture, combined with some desire to question and scientifically label and date and analyze. If I may, I would love to dig up old bones. I would love to dig up old buildings. I would love to dig up old pottery fragments. Perhaps as a child, my fantasies were right, but it is best not to connect such unlikely things. All I can do now is continue to contemplate this change, which I rather enjoy doing...

I feel ready to throw off my American appearance and develop a greater sense of the entire Western Culture. Before I left, I found it very hard to relate with the rest of the world. All I saw everyday was America, it was hard to imagine anything else. Now I know that there is something else out there and I was lucky enough to experience it. I feel very fortunate.

I think what I miss most is everybody speaking French around me... I especially loved dinner and lunch on weekends because of this. It felt good to be hearing and having conversations with the real thing. It felt good...

posted by Natticus @ 11:41 PM