Despite everyone telling me this semester would be over before I knew it, I still felt like I had all the time in the world when I arrived in Nantes in January. I could see the four months stretching out in front of me and felt like I could fit a million things in and still have time leftover.
Well, everyone was right. I feel like I’ve been here a week and yet I’ve come to consider Nantes as my home. After nervously adjusting for the first week or two, time just started to slip away. The worst part was in around February when I became aware of how quickly time was passing but knew I could do nothing to slow it down. I am happy that it felt so short because I know that means I enjoyed my semester, but I can’t help feeling like half of the days on the calendar were removed this year.
Now I only have about a week left and I don’t know how to feel about it. I am extremely sad to be leaving France, Nantes, and all of the friends I have made here. At the same time, though, I am excited to go home, drown myself in pancakes and burrito bowls, and see my friends and family. When I think about it, I realize that I should not be sad at all because this has been an unforgettable semester and a truly wonderful experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. So instead of dreading my departure I am trying instead to take advantage of my final days here and think of all the good moments I’ve had this semester.
