Time to Say Goodbye

I apologize for posting so late, but the last month or so was incredible hectic, but I do want to give this blog some closure. June started off with finals and a visit to the Cointreau factory and museum (Cointreau is an expensive world renowned orange liqueur made specially in Angers) before all the goodbyes to my friends began. Some of my friends left the day after finals, but I was sticking around for another two weeks so I was at the train station everyday (sometimes multiple times in one day) saying goodbye to everyone. It involved lots of hugs and tears and many promises to come back or visit in the States or just keep in touch. Saying goodbye is never fun, especially if you’re not sure if you’ll ever see someone again, but it’s so much better than not having met them in the first place. As one of my friends said “Life is all about goodbyes. At some point in your life you will have to say goodbye to everyone you’ve ever met. But that shouldn’t stop you from going out and meeting people.” That was the sad part. The fun part was that everyday was a grand adventure and every night my friends and I jumped into a different French fountain.

Since I was staying for a couple more weeks I was around for the 2010 World Cup game of England vs USA. England had already scored a goal by the time I got to the bar to watch with my British friends. It was great fun…or great banter as they would say. The Brits were decked out in red and white clothing and paint and sported the flag of St. George as a type of cape and singing rugby turned soccer (or should I say football) songs. I wore my red, white and blue along with my Boston Red Sox hat…very American I thought. If you didn’t see the game it was really exciting because England was supposed to win it, but USA stuck it out for a 1-1 tie and I took a lot of heat for it.

I spent my last days in Angers visiting the different parks, eating my last baguettes and macarons, sketching the castle, and learning how to salsa and play French card games. I’m so glad I stayed the extra bit because it gave me a chance to let go. It was painful knowing I had to leave soon, but I was also excited to be going home since I hadn’t seen my family in five months. I will never forget the friends I made in Angers nor the city itself. Angers has become yet another home to me and I hope to return someday soon. If you are thinking of studying abroad, do it. You learn so much about so many different things in all aspects of life. And if you’re going to go, I highly recommend going to a country where you will be forced to speak another language. It’s uncomfortable at first, but people are more accepting of your mistakes and faux pas than you think.

Encore une fois (once more),

Heidi