The Lucky One

As the sun sets on my final weekend in France - at 10.45 nonetheless - I find myself reflecting on my experiences as I look at the hills surrounding Louviers. Today, for the first time I started to get worked up a bit while talking to my neighbor Corinne and later this evening to Jean-François, but I either quickly changed the subject or outwardly attempted to reassure myself that I would, in fact, be coming back relatively soon.

I just finished my second session of Région Langue here in Louviers, during which I worked alongside my friend Alex, and two others: Luci from Leicester and Aisling from Ireland. This past week has been filled with moments that convinced me that it is time to go. The first was unexpected; just being together with Alex and Liz again. The three of us were back where everything began, laughing and enjoying ourselves (a bit too much actually, as proven by a run in later that evening with some of the students, and 'ta mere!' being sent their way). Yet as much as I wanted to feel like nothing had changed, I couldn't. Yes we still get just the same as before, but this reunion was just different. In the two months since we were last together, so much had changed, we'd changed. I guess that's both a gift and a curse on the world - that nothing is static.

While I did appreciate the second session, and the money that it will be sending my way, I didn't enjoy myself nearly as much as I had during the first. The kids were all nice, but they made very little effort to speak English and when they did it wasn't very good. Also, for as well-structured as the schedule looked on paper, things didn't go nearly as smoothly as planned. Unfortunately, there was a lot of dead time where we just sat around. I was in charge of the cooking workshop again, alongside one of the teachers at Les Fontenelles, Christine. Together we made cookies, shortbread, butter tarts and toffee fudge.

During my presentation to the zombified students one evening my laptop charger decided it couldn't handle the 220V anymore and decided to crap out on me, leaving me without my computer for the remainder of my time in France (this is being typed in the salle des profs).

I'll miss the reputation I've earned here in France, hearing nice things about yourself said by people you've never even met doesn't hurt in the self-assurance department. Add that to the list of things I'll suffer withdrawl from along with haircuts. I had my last one this morning, during which I found out that my coiffeuse, Chloé, won't be in Louviers next year either. She's going to Toulouse to continue with her studies, but will start new courses in make-up and body painting. She gave me some sort of hair product that she always uses on my hair as I left too, which I thought was really nice.

As much as I would have loved to have stayed, I'll miss my relationships with the people that I've met too much to live here for another year without them. Life is all about meeting new people, but it would still be difficult not to compare then and now. In the mean time I need to take a step back and look at the big picture, and the lyrics to this song help me do it...

You're the lucky one
So I've been told
As free as the wind,
Blowin' down the road
Loved by many, hated by none
I'd say you're lucky 'cause I know what you've done
Not a care in the world
Not a worry in sight
Everything's gonna be alright
Cause you're the lucky one.