FIN.

Seven months have passed me by and it is now time to say goodbye to France and my year abroad.

I would never have imagined when I arrived in my small room in Sigean seven months ago that I would be here now. I remember sitting outside a pub in the blaring sun with Jess and mum, going mental about the size of the room, the size of the village, the lack of people and just about anything else that I would be faced with for the next half-a-year. I remember sitting in my room a few weeks later, telling mum I wanted to come home and emailing the university about my options if I left France. I don’t remember the exact point where everything changed, but now I am sitting in my clean, empty room in Narbonne, sad that my time in France has come to an end.

My last full week in France passed by quickly. There were lots of goodbyes, lots of eating out and lots of drinks.

Monday and Tuesday at work were good and I said goodbye (and, in some cases, good riddance) to each class. I arrived back in Narbonne on Tuesday evening and went straight out for Trini’s leaving dinner. Wednesday evening I went for dinner in Botafogo (foie gras, magret de canard and fondant au chocolat get in my belly) with the English girls, Manu and Lucile. Me, Lauren, Cyd and Lucile then moved on to find a bar for a few drinks when we stumbled upon a karaoke at Shiva. I decided to give the people what they had come for and sang two songs. It’s safe to say that between us we rocked the joint and Narbonne will be sad to see us and our amazing vocal talents leave. (Right, Cyd and Lauren giving us all a musical treat.)

After a hungover and thus unproductive Thursday morning, in the afternoon I met Marisa and Chris for a coffee, which evolved into a l’Echoppe night with Jeanne, Alex and Olivia (some lovely Americans, if I have not mentioned them before). We drank beer, ate pizza and played Spite Malice, an amazing card game that requires four, yes four, decks of cards. Intense.

In true Dan Cash style, I overslept for work on Friday, consequently missing my taxi. I sent a text to Lucile, my saviour, to take me from Port-la-Nouvelle to Sigean. Arriving at the collège for the last time felt strange. It’s a place that I detest for so many reasons, but I guess I have grown to love to hate it. At lunch the headmaster said some nice words and thanked me in the staff room, and I said thank you and goodbye to the teachers. I then had my last lesson, cleared out my ‘bedroom’, and before I knew it I was in Lucile’s car going back to the station. Another goodbye later and I was on the way back to Narbonne.

That evening I ended up going to Montpellier with the English girls for a night out with some of the Monty P assistants. It was so much fun and just nice to be somewhere with people in the bars and decent tunes! We got back late and I think I managed to catch around four hours of shut-eye before I woke up and decided it would still be a good idea to go to Nîmes. It was a difficult start due to the unwelcome hangover and by the end of the day I was beyond shattered, but I enjoyed it a lot! We went to the Roman arena and watched some Roman re-enactments, getting our geek on in style. The best bit was the horse (above) which contained seven men. The gladiator bit was also cool.

In the evening I got my last Boite à Pizza with Marisa and Chris and then said ciao. To soften the blow, I was given the green lightsabre spoon from my lovely Scottish friends, making me an official cereal box Jedi and completing my main year abroad goal: to find the green spoon. My most prized possession safely in my pocket; I then went and said ‘laters’ to Lauren. Goodbyes suck.

So, now I am all packed up. I have paid for extra baggage allowance and my heaviest clothes are laid out ready for me to don tomorrow morning. I am going to les anglaises tonight for dinner and to watch a film, then tomorrow at midday I’ll be struggling onto a train with an absurd amount of luggage.

My year abroad was not the easiest seven months of my life. I found it extremely difficult and there were many points where I wanted to give up. My year abroad was, however, the best experience of my life. I have changed, matured, and grown as a person. I have learnt French to a level with which I am more than happy. I have made friends not just from France but from Spain, Germany, Scotland, America, and of course England that I hope to see again soon.
I have had the time of my life.

Once again, I find myself thinking of the quote (Dr. Seuss, I believe), “Don’t be sad because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

When I reflect on the last 7 months of my life, how could I possibly do anything but smile?

I am grateful to so many people for their support during my time in France; I couldn't possibly thank them all on here because… well, I can’t be bothered. But you know who you are. Also, thank you to everyone who read my blog. Thanks for putting up with me either moaning or boasting about my life in southern France! I have had a lot of fun writing so I hope you have enjoyed reading.

So, this is me ‘cashing in’ for the last time. Cheesy, I know.

Merci et au revoir!

DC