Where were you when you heard that Donald Trump was going to be the next president of the United States? I was alone in my apartment in my Miami thinking, “Is this real?” while aggressively chugging pinot grigio. For many Americans, that day and that moment will be something to remember and to speak of for the rest of their lives.
I’ve been home for a week now and it feels like nothing has changed here. The family is doing well, Hinsdale is filled with familiar faces, and summer is beginning to make its appearance. It sometimes feels like this semester never even happened. It’s so easy to fall back into old routines and habits and get comfortable with what’s familiar. But as I look back at my pictures and read my journal, I remember all of the wonderful moments in the land across the pond.
It’s been just over 100 days since I arrived in Aix, and what an experience it has been. Realizing that this adventure is coming to an end is weird. I’ve begun packing, which has been surprisingly easier than expected, and throwing out endless class notes that I no longer need. I’m definitely ready for the school aspect to be done, but I am getting sentimental about the little aspects that make Aix, Aix.
My first trip to Paris was in 2010 through my high school. There were about twenty students I had never met, and this was my first time abroad. I was nervous, exhausted, and unsure if I was going to make any friends. Our flight landed at 8 am, so naturally the tour guide thought it would be best to see all of Paris on that same day.
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