back in America

My last day in Besançon was really sad and yet really amazing. Jürgen and Laura came by my room and helped me carry my ridiculously heavy bags down all the stairs and then the three of us went to the train station where we met the Spanish...I was really touched that everyone came to see me off. The train came...I cried a lot of course (and so did everyone else) and they helped me put my stuff on the train and said goodbye to me. I waved at them through the window as the train started to pull away and they waved and then ran with the train to the end of the platform until it ran out which was the sweetest gesture ever...I waved til I couldn't see them anymore and then I cried haha...a woman sitting near me came over to me and told me I was really lucky to have friends like that and that it really touched her to see that, even though she didn't even know us. She made me feel better, though I was still heartbroken to leave Besançon and everyone I love there.

my friends at the train station

I spent the night in Paris with my aunt and the next morning went bright and early to the airport. There was ridiculous security and it made our plane an hour and a half late...they literally looked through all my bags, took everything out and even confiscated my razor. Kinda ridiculous. Anyway, on the plane...made it to DC and the fastest customs of my life (and relatively hassle free) then my first American hamburger in 5 months and then to Savannah where I was met by the family and slept in my own bed in my own room (which is two times bigger than my tiny chambre in Besançon)!

School has started back and I'm getting back into the swing of things, but it's proving to be much harder than I imagined. You don't realize how much you've changed until you come back to your old life and try to fit yourself into it. I don't know where to start and though my best friends are still here, the life I left doesn't exist anymore. It's like starting over again. It's a very confusing and unusual time for me right now...and I really miss the life and the people I left in Besac.

I guess from here it's just moving on, making a new life for myself here and adjusting to being back. Hopefully it won't be this weird feeling for long. I really don't like it.

I have to say though, that the last few months have been the most amazing time of my life-I met people that changed my life and taught me about myself and the world. I gained confidence in myself and felt like I really grew up in just a few months. Every day I spent over there, even the boring ones or the bad ones or the frustrating ones changed me as a person in the best possible way. So I guess I just have to take that experience and apply it to my life here and find that feeling again.

I hope you all have enjoyed reading about my adventures and I hope one day I can use this blog again to chronicle more of them. And if anyone stumbles across this wondering if they should go to Besançon, stop thinking about it, just GO. It treated me well and I hope it will you too :)

what does shannon n'avoir pas envie to do? leave... :(

So the pictures have come down, the bed has been unmade, my fridge has been emptied, and my train leaves at 5 to take me to Paris, where tomorrow I will board a flight for America to come back home after almost 6 months away. I am very sad to leave.

My last week has been wonderful, seeing everyone and getting all my work done and spending lots of time with the people I love best. Wednesday was a party at Marina's where we met a lot of French people. When the party started it was all of the French in one room and the internationals in another but soon we mixed and pretty soon everyone was laughing and talking over sangria and Catalonian saucisson.

Earlier in the week I had been a bit sick but luckily Sabine took care of me and I was soon back to enjoying dinners at her house and having drinks at Bar de l'U.

Yesterday was my last real day, so fittingly we spent it all together. It snowed alllllll day and after lunch me, Peter, Jürgen, Sara, Soni, and Laura had a snowball fight in the courtyard. I was pretty terrible at it but it was still lots of fun. Then Peter taught me how to make a snowman. We were freezing so we headed to our usual spot, Bar de l'U, and then I bought my fiddle! It's beautiful, I'll have to post pictures. He even gave me a lower price cause he liked me :) It was still snowing heavy after this and the buses stopped running so we walked home to campus (in the snow! uphill both ways hehe) and cooked chicken curry all together. Very yummy and nice to be everyone.

After dinner it was late so we frolicked in the snow and went by my room to talk about the plans for today...then Peter had to tell me goodbye since he'll be gone this weekend. That was so hard-I'm really close to Peter and it was so hard having to say goodbye and knowing I wouldn't see him for a long time. I cried of course...I can only imagine how it will be today with everyone at the train station. After Peter left we chatted a bit and then finally went to bed...I think being alone was the hardest because I really realized it's the end of this amazing adventure and that I have to leave these incredible people behind.

Today has been packing and sorting and praying I'll be able to manage everything. We'll see. I won't get mushy yet...leaving the rest of the group is going to SUCK...I'll probably be blubbering the whole way to Paris and probably America too, so I'll talk about that later.

I'm happy to see everyone at home...I wish I could just bring my Besançon with me too :(

enjoying my last week in Besac...here's the link to some Germany pics up on FB! I'll put my favs on Flickr later on.

and a few nice pics from Christmas...

just random, and a bit late, btu still nice :)

Christmas tree!

 

singing :)

 

presents!

Germany!

I'm back in Besançon but I owe everyone a big update, so here goes (with pictures even!)

Monday Peter, Robert, and I visited a town neighboring Perleberg called Schwerin. It was really cute with a nice city center and a really tall church tower (that we climbed!) and a cute little castle.

all the way at the top!

The castle was really cool (but sadly not open on Mondays) so we walked around the garden and had a coffee break inside where the boys gave me my first lesson on ordering in restos. I did pretty well :)

 

in and around the castle...

After that we did a bit of shopping and then headed back to Karstädt. We had dinner together and then played some songs on the guitar and hung out his family. Soon we had to get ready for Peter's high school reunion party in Perleberg. Every year all the graduates are invited to this party so I tagged along and met a lot of new people. It was kinda funny because I already knew so many of his friends I actually had a lot of people to talk to. Then of course dancing until early hours of the morning and then Martin drove us back home. I even learned how to foxtrot, since it's really popular in Germany and something you learn at like 14 in school...thanks to all of my patient dance partners :)

Tuesday we headed out for Göttingen, Peter's university city. His uncle offered to drive us there (it's a bit far) and on the way he stopped at some really interesting cities...we passed through Wolfsburg (home of the Volkswagon plant) and then on to Braunschweig where we visited a church and the Christmas market. The boys bought me a little mug and had my name put on it-it's very popular in that region of Germany.

of course we also tried bratwurst (it's Germany!) and then we found some poffertjes being sold so I made them try those too (lekker!)

I fell asleep for a bit and when I woke up his uncle had driven us up this mountain to see this sledding park for kids. So much snow!! I was so excited!

 

So we had a gluhwein to warm up and then back into the car and this time I got to see all the lovely scenery. Robert explained there's some kind of legend about the mountain and witches are supposed to live on it or something...kinda funny. So then we continued to Goslar where we went to another Christmas market and then to a tavern where they brew their own beer and Peter's uncle knew the owner. So I got to try regional beer  

 

and of course we tried some more Weihnachtsmarkt things-like roasted almonds! Then back in the car aaaand we arrived in Göttingen! We stayed in Peter's old flat with his roommate Tommy (he came to visit in Besançon, so I already knew him). We had dinner, went out to meet some friends for drinks and then came back and went to sleep. The boys were very nice and all slept in the same room so I could have my own room-what nice gentlemen :) They were all so nice-I really felt like I had a bunch of German older brothers the whole time haha Everyone was really nice about me learning German too-they explained everything and taught me so many things. Everyday I ended up with like 10 words of the day-it was really really awesome they were so supportive about me learning :)

The next day Peter took me around Göttingen to see everything

the statue is Gänseliesel (Liesel with Geese) and the symbol of Göttingen

So sightseeing a bit  and then meeting up with Daniel (another friend who visited in Besac) and then back home for curry and then going out again. We saw a concert by the Sexy Chamillions (funny name and a really good band) then we went out to a club and then home to sleep.

The next day was New Years' Eve! We went to Paderborn to spend it with Tim and Lena (another couple that visited us in Besac that I already knew :) Lena's the one we visited in Aix, by the way). The party was really good, just a lot of friends and good food and everyone having a good time. We counted down to midnight and then went outside to watch fireworks with the neighbors. We stayed up til about 2 after that-Peter and some of the others decided to go out and find something else to do in the town but I was so tired I stayed with the rest and went to sleep (haha yeah i know, i'm lame). Apparently we missed a pretty interesting night...but it was all recounted in German the next morning at breakfast so I'm afraid I can't do the story justice hahahaha

The next day we went back to Göttingen and Peter took a car to Ulm...it was so far but we made it and got to catch up on talking (it had been a few days since it was just me and Peter). In Ulm Sabine picked us up (since it's her hometown) and her family very kindly put us up for the night. They were so interesting-there are 11 kids and both her parents are doctors and everyone is so intelligent and talented. One of the daughters is 17 and just started playing harp and they let me play it! Oh it was so nice to play harp again...and it was a pedal harp-just gorgeous. And what a sweet girl! She spent a year in Texas so she spoke really good English. All of Sabine's other siblings were great as well and her parents were so hospitable...just a really great group of people. The next morning there was snow everywhere but Sabine still took Peter and I around Ulm.

Ulm is famous because it has the highest church steeple in the world (530 ft!) and in general it's just beautiful.

pretty, right?

After our quick tour we got on the train to head back to Besac...it took all day but the scenery was fantastic so I wasn't complaining...also I got to try a 'raisin snail' which made the ride fun :)

 

(it's a pastry, don't worry hehe)

Finally we come to Strasbourg and then took the TER to Besançon...we shared a compartment with a family with 3 annoying kids...happy to get into Besac! Peter and I are the only ones from our group here right now, and since we have like no food we pooled our resources and made boring spaghetti but interesting conversation hehe. It's weird to be alone now! I caught up on my sleep this morning and now have updated the blog. My last week in Besançon...let's just not think about that sad fact :(