Halfway There and The Sun is Shining

I have now passed the halfway point of my time in France. It seems hard to believe that this experience that I dreamed about for two years is coming to an end in just a few short months.  I knew that my time here would go by fast but I didn't know it was going to be this fast.

Before I came here, many people told me that I would learn a lot about myself in my time in France.  I think I expected these things to just come to me.  Things like knowing what I want to do with my life, where I want to be in 10 years, and most importantly, will I want to live in France for another couple of years.  But after I got here and started to get into the groove of my life abroad, I realized that nothing was going to just hit me and I'd know.  It was going to be a process. And who knows what I would learn, but I so desperately wanted to learn something.  It's scary graduating from college and not having a true sense of what you are meant to do.  There is pressure to go right into something that has to do with what you have been studying but sometimes you aren't sure if that is what you really want in life.  Applying for this program was not so much as an escape from the reality of finding what I want to do with my life but a time for a bit of relaxation after 17 straight years of school and reflection on what my future careers could be.

So after four months of relaxation and reflection in what I have been calling my "Eat, Pray, Love" year, here are 25 things I've learned about myself, about relationships with others and about life:

1. Sometimes you have to be selfish.
2. No one died from feeling awkward.
3. How much French you speak or don't speak on a daily basis is entirely up to you.
4. Many, many things get lost in translation.
5. Have fun, but be practical.
6. It's okay to be afraid of growing up.
7. Anxiety is something you can learn to control.
8. I really, really dislike the word "obsessed".
9. The small, unknown places and towns of foreign countries are often the true gems.
10. Imagine your life in someone else's shoes, it can be fun.
11. You know when you are a student and it's so weird to see a teacher outside of school?  Being on the other side of that, it's weird for the teacher too.
12. French teenagers are much more forward than American teenagers.
13. Sometimes your students need to hear you speak French in your really bad accent so they understand you know how they feel speaking English.
14. Sometimes the feeling of being completely alone is magical.
15. No need to be jealous, everyone is having their own experiences so embrace yours.
16. Turn restlessness into productive creativity.
17. Competition is necessary for humans to survive but there's no need to take it too far.
18. Headphones break way too easily.
19. Write down your ideas right away before you forget them.
20. When the sun is shining, go outside!
21. Sometimes the things that you really dread and don't want to do, turn out not that bad.  Possibly even enjoyable.
22. Spontaneity is fun and exhilarating.
23. I'm turning 23 in three weeks after spending a year trying to not be 22.
24. I have had some pretty epic adventures here whether it was traveling to new places, or exploring this amazing town I live in.
25. I have four more months of great adventures to come!

Voilà! And I leave you with a beautiful sunny February Day in France.

C'est la belle vie! :)