The Next Chapter

I'm sitting on our porch swing, typing fast, racing the computer battery before it dies. I see the green hills and the red earth, the birds are splashing in the new bird bath and I'm pretty sure there is a cat or two (or five) napping somewhere nearby. It feels so good to be home.

But of course, the wind whistling over Windswept Farm makes me think of the wicked Mistral, which in turn makes me think of Marseille, and I feel just a little bit sad too.

But it's time to move on. A new chapter has begun. It's off to a nice but slow start. Immediately after I got home, the family and I went up to Richmond for my cousin Jackie's bridal shower. It was lovely but I felt so weird realizing we're now old enough to be getting married. Well, she is. I may be physically older than her but I'm pretty sure her mental/maturity age has always been far above mine.

Since then I've had some time to visit with a few friends and mostly just sit around the house getting hand cramps from filling out too many job applications. I'm simultaneously under- and over-qualified to do almost anything there is to do in this town.

So I've already moved on in my mind. I'm researching apartments, neighborhoods, things to do, theaters, and jobs in big cities as far away as Seattle. My parents aren't thrilled of course but after living in Europe for a year, Franklin County just seems a bit too small. Don't worry. I'll stick around at least long enough to make some money to fund my next adventure (assuming I ever find a job).

And that brings you to me now, sitting on the porch swing, mostly bored but happy to be amongst the familiar. Happy to be home.

Home

I've been waiting for four months to use this title. 'Home'. It's got a good ring to it, don't you think?

As a result of the snow, I wasn't able to do everything that I was planning to do while I was in the states. I had wanted to go to church to play in the orchestra and see friends. That didn't happen. I'd also wanted to spend the night in Tennessee visiting college friends. That too did not happen.

But, everything else was perfect. I spent many days just relaxing with my family at home. We talked, ate Mom's food (the best in the world), ate a French meal that I made, played Wii Fit, laughed at my Dad playing Wii Fit (one of the funniest moments of my life), and watched movies. I got to wrap everyone's presents (which I love to do) and go sledding with Lyne Burke and our neighbor. I had actually boycotted the snow as a result of my annoyance with my flight but in the end I forgave it and enjoyed it.

I was also able to visit with old family and school friends and with newer college friends, if only for brief moments. I love how when you spend most of your life in one town, you have so many shared memories with the people around you.

My favorite times were, of course, visiting extended family. On Christmas Day, after waking up early to open presents, we first made our way to my mom's family's house and later to my dad's.

It was a little hard at my Grandma's house this year since my Granddad died this October. Fortunately though, everyone handled it well and it was a great chance to see everyone and catch up on each other's lives, and of course, eat so much incredible food.

Then we were able to spend three days with my dad's family. I got to go shopping with my cousin/best friend, go to church with her and my Papa, exchange stories and pictures with the whole family, eat too much of Grammie's yummy food, eat an elaborate log cake, and just have a marvelous time. I love family!

And then it was time to kiss my sweet dog goodbye and leave my family behind to cross back over the ocean. I was quite grouchy the day I left. I think I just didn't want to say goodbye. But once I was back on French soil, my spirits lifted. I love this place. I love the land, the people, my friends, the food, my school, and the language.

After realizing that home is still where I left it and that it will be mostly the same when I get back, I feel comforted and much more ready to embrace everything about my time here. I've been studying French on my own and planning exciting adventures with my friends. As much as I love my home, I am so happy to be back!

News From Home

Ok, this is one of those posts that I don't really want to write and that's not going to be especially fun to read either. But, I'm going to write it anyway, because I want to keep people updated, with the good news and the bad.

This week was one of the most difficult of my life. I was just coming off an episode of homesickness that had lasted about three weeks. Sunday and Monday I was in a ridiculously good mood for no reason and I was glad to be here. It was nice, but of course, didn't last long. Monday night I had a message on Skype and on my phone telling me to call home. I knew then what had happened but I could only hope I was wrong.

I finally got in contact with my mom to confirm that my grandad, my mom's dad, had died that morning. It was apparently peaceful and he'd been sick a long time but I was not expecting it to be this soon. All I knew is that I wanted to be home. I wanted to be with my family.

I went to school the next day thinking it would be good to be distracted. I was wrong. I got a bad stomach virus on top of it all and spent most of the four hours zoned out or with my head on the desk. That night I told my host mom and she said I could go home for a few weeks and even helped me find flights. It was sooo tempting but everyone from home said to stay here. It's expensive and so short notice. I was sick, would have been struggling with jet lag the whole time, and if I'd missed any flights, it would have complicated things so much more because I'd be arriving the night before the funeral. Basically I had to choose between this and Christmas.

So I stayed here, being basically useless because I just kept thinking how I could be at home right then. Thursday was the worst day. The funeral was at 11am where you are, 5pm here. I stayed in my room all day looking up pictures of haircuts I want to distract myself. At 5 I had just picked up the kids from school and right then, one of them decided to start crying and screaming at me for some reason that I have yet to understand. So there I am, on the verge of breaking down, shaking, and standing in the rain. Here, not where I should have been.

I spent the next few days locked in my room doing what I call "wallowing." I was planning on doing it today too but last night I got to talk to my mom and brother on Skype and that made me feel better and then a friend convinced me to go to her house to watch Twilight while eating Nutella and pretzels and sipping wine. Pretty content to stay in my room continuing my pity party, I first said no but I'm glad she convinced me to go. It was nice to be among people again, doing regular fun things and not thinking about home.

Driving back to the house, I was thinking how much I really do love this place and how lucky I am to live here right now. I just wish there were people from home here that I could show this stuff to. I'm also really missing Barnes and Noble. How bizarre.