So today (again) turned out a lot better than it started. I think I’m just going to bet on happiness later in the day. For me, loneliness and sadness seem to dominate the mornings but things become a lot easier as the day goes on. After I came back distraught from the front office, I took a nap. Which shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me. Sleep is one of my coping mechanisms and it makes everything so much better. I often find that when I’m sad or lonely, I feel sleepy. And once I sleep even a half an hour, I have a clearer, more focused and optimistic way of viewing things.
After my nap, I had to meet up with Jasper and Rebekah to go to the Université. We had a meeting at 2 with all of the other international students at IEP (Institut d’études Politiques). It was at this meeting that I discovered that my French is nowhere near where it should be. When I first decided to study abroad for sure (during sophomore year), my French was pretty good. I would have been able to understand a lot more of what they were saying today and my responses would not have been gibberish. However, after a year without French classes, my listening and speaking skills are just not up to snuff. For these first few weeks, I’m probably going to have to really focus and borrow other people’s notes too. I signed up for a class that will focus on the French language and it should help get me back to where I was. But honestly, today made me feel like such a pompous ass. Like here I thought I could speak French and do this without problems and it hit me in the face like a brick that I just couldn’t. But it was also kind of cathartic because I found a solution in my French class and will have to speak more with native French people to get where I need to be. Hopefully at the end of this semester, I will be speaking French with no problems at all.
Tonight, after our nearly 4 hour meeting at the Université, all of the ISEP students got together again for dinner. I got simple things at the store like bread and lunchmeat, so no fancy dinner for me. But it was nice to talk to everyone and have my mind distracted from my crazy day. During dinner I borrowed Rebekah’s internet and called my dad, mom, and beautiful girlfriend. :) It was unexplainably nice to talk to all of them and see how they were. Dad said my bank card came in so whenever he gets it up and running, he’ll give it to mom to send to me. And Mom didn’t even answer my first 3 calls! Can you believe it?! Finally though she talked to Morgan and found out that the restricted caller was me. So I got to talk to her for a little while, which was nice. I know she’s been worried about me and missing me so I think for her, it was great to talk to me. Morgan and I talked about when she’s going to come visit me. I think it’ll be in March and we may be able to go on a tour of Venice, Florence, and Rome. And since that might only take 4 days, we may also be able to go to Germany and visit Jada. :) All of which would be amazing experiences so I’m really really looking forward to it! :)
Now I’m sitting in bed, relaxing. I’m going to look over my classes and see what I’d like to take this semester. And I’ll probably turn in early. Almost all of the other ISEP students are out partying and that’s two nights in a row now. And since there’s a pub crawl tomorrow night, we’ll all be going out then too. I’m not super worried about it, but I know I’m not a drinking girl so I hope it won’t become a problem. Because they are all so sweet and amazing. I just don’t want to be left out. But I’m sure it won’t be an issue because, like I said, there are some really great people in the ISEP program and they all seem to be pretty non-judgmental.
Tomorrow morning will consist of a tour of Aix-en-Provence and crêpes. Both amazing things and I can’t wait. :) Oh and today in my gâteau (cake) I found a little toy. It’s a Mardi Gras tradition if I remember correctly. The cake is called une bouche de la reine and if you get the little porcelain toy in your piece of the cake, you get to be queen for the day. My toy was Mad-Eye Moody (in French, he’s Maugrey Fol Oeil) from Harry Potter so there you go. :) Gotta love Harry Potter and gotta love French people who put Harry Potter characters in their cake. :)
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