Homesick

 

I think I'm homesick.
 
Tomorrow is seven weeks that we've been traveling, and I'm starting to feel the pull of San Diego and home. Don't get me wrong, this trip has been ridiculously amazing so far! Spending ten days in Israel hanging out with family and traveling around was so much fun, and we have had so many fabulous experiences and adventures living on the French Riviera for the last five weeks! Still, there are some things that I definitely miss. Like English.

Last week we went to London for a few days, and being in a country where everyone understood me and I understood everyone was a huge relief. And though I knew that I was struggling with the language barrier here in France (the last time I studied French I was in fifth grade), I'm not sure I realized how much it was affecting me. After London we were back in France for a day, and then we went to Italy for three days. I *love* the sound of Italian, so it was fun even though I have even less of an understanding of Italian than I do of French (though we found that you can get by with Spanish sometimes). Being back in France after a week of being around other languages, I actually found myself thinking that the French I heard being spoken around me sounded ugly. I know, I know...that's a horrible thing to say! And yet, there it is.

Three months before we came here, I had every intention of going through all 90 Pimsleur French lessons that we had, so that I would have a much better grasp on the language by the time we got here. I got through about 16 of them, and that was it. So I'm definitely responsible for the experience I'm having here, and now I know that I would do it differently the next time. When we first got here I felt really stymied by the fact that I couldn't communicate with people. After a while I started getting more comfortable with it, and now I think I've regressed. Or given up. I almost don't even want to make the effort to try to speak French, and just go straight for the English. I've become *that* person!

Language aside, I also miss hanging out with our amazing friends in San Diego! It was really fun to get to see my best friend Sheri in London last week, and I miss all the going out for lunches and dinners with our friends that we do when we're home. I miss hugging my friends, too (I'm a hugger)!

And as great as our apartment is here, I miss our super-awesome newly remodeled home in San Diego!! I miss our amazing new kitchen, our fabulous bed, our giant project-on-the-wall tv screen...I even miss our silly cat, Franz!

Still, we're here for almost three more weeks, and I don't want to spend it longing for home instead of experiencing all there still is to experience here. So...I am committed to having an amazing remainder of our trip here in France! Hold me to that, okay?

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