Trips and life...

Okay, I have pictures for everyone! I'll give a quick run-down on the places I've been and then a current update on how I'm doing!

Milan:
I was able to go to Milan for the weekend with my friend Madison. She invited me to go shopping with her for the weekend in one of the "best cities for shopping in the world." I couldn't turn that down, now could I?? :) We had a great time in Italy. It is an expensive city but we enjoyed eating gelato daily, the amazing pizza and pasta, the sights of Milan and the shopping. It is the first time I had ever stepped foot in some of the stores but we had to check out their luxury shopping streets which are home to stores such as Luis Vitton, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana... the list goes on.
Here are some pictures!!

Beaune and Dijon:
The following weekend was spent in Beaune and Dijon with API, my study abroad program. They took us on a wine tasting and showed us the specialty foods of Dijon. We had a good time.
Here are some pictures!

Eric and the family!!:
The following two weeks were fantastic!! I came home from Dijon just in time to meet Eric and the train station! We had a great week together. I loved getting to show him "my France." The day that he left I took him to the airport in Lyon and then waited there for my family to arrive. We had a great week too but it wasn't without the normal James family vacation hitches! (We always tend to have not so great weather and a few minor hitches throughout our vacations but...we still have a good time and it makes it memorable!) I must also say... it is MUCH more difficult constantly translating menus and conversations for 4 people than it was for one person!! :) We had a great time though! Thank you guys for coming!!! It meant the world to me!
Enjoy some pictures: Album 1 Album 2

After those few weeks, came some CRAZY weeks with school! I thought that I was going to drown in it! I'm still not finished with the crazyness but this week we do not have classes so, I get some room to breath and catch up on stuff. More on that later...

Paris with the host family:
This past weekend my host family invited me to go with them to Paris. My host mom's friend was turning 40 and having a large party to celebrate! I had a great time with them!! The party was so much fun!! It was so elegant, a boat on the Seine with a 4-course meal elegant, and so much fun at the same time. It was great spending dedicated time with my host family too. So often with school work and such we don't spend that much time relaxing together. It was a fun bonding experience!
I added some pictures to the end of my Grenoble album.

Alrighty, I believe that is all of the pictures that have been missing!

Currently, things are going well. I have had some rocky days being so overwhelmed with school projects and tests. I am feeling very stretched but I think in the end it will be a good thing. I have never had courses like these before! There are several in which the only grades are a large project and the final exam! In comparison to the states, there is very little continuous assessment. I have one final that will be 60% of my grade and the rest of them count for at least 40%. Needless to say, as soon as I finish these big projects that are currently on my plate, I will be getting to studying for the exams!! Ugh... :~)

At the same time that I have been overwhelmed academically, I have been looking back on my stay do far. There are days when I wonder if I have built strong enough friendships that will last after this semester and there have been days when I am so encouraged by the people I have met here! There are days when I'm really disappointed in the improvement of my French (it really is not as strong as I had hoped) but then times when I realize that I could totally follow the last 10 minutes of conversation in French! There are days when I miss home so much I can hardly breath and days when I realize the short amount of time that I have left here and realize how much I'm going to miss it.

I have realized a lot about myself as well. I came to the stark realization of how much I de-stress by being around my close friends and how I do not do well when I don't know where to find that!! I have realized how much I love people from all over the world and that I hope that my world never again includes solely Americans. ...the rest of the world has great ideas and perspectives... I have loved joking with my friends about our cultural differences (getting teased for craving Starbucks coffee ... or laughing at them for constantly being late... etc). I have realized that even though I want to see the world and know people from its various sides, it is not about the places but about having people in my life. When or if I do this again, I am bringing someone from home with me but also going to try and dive in as much as possible with new people (I'm not sure that I have done this as well as possible).

Well, I think that is about all for now! I greatly appreciate the contact that people have been making!! I am looking forward to being back home this summer!!! It'll be 7 weeks from Friday then I will be home. ...Its a sad thought, a tiring thought, and an exciting thought all at the same time!!!

Love from France,

Ashlie