More rambling, because I have a spare hour

I have an hour before I have to head back to class so I think I'll try to finish up this blog post kind of quickly. Sorry in advance for any errors, weird syntax, etc. Tuesdays are kind of horrible for me, because I have five classes from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and even then I have to rush back to my foyer for dinner 15 minutes later. However, classes today haven't been too terrible, although it looks like all of my classes are going to give me a test either this week or next week. Joy. I had hoped to go to Poitiers this weekend, but it doesn't look like that's going to work out. I probably need to stay in and study anyway. I have a test in History and a test in Soci-Cultural Studies, and both of those will most likely require some wikipedia-ing in addition to the notes.

On the upside, I got one of my writing assignments back today and it was topped with a sun with a smiley face:

I'm pretty stoked actually. I think my teacher likes me. We had to talk about what career we want and the steps that we want to take, what keeps us motivated, etc. I talked about wanting to come back to France and teach english to younger students, and I think that's what made her the happiest. I found out after I turned it in that she spent a year in England teaching french. And, I also ended it with this kind of philosophical sentence about how I want to keep my options open and not tie myself down. Either way: sunny smiley face.

My room has gotten a bit homier over the past couple of weeks:

Please note the written-but-not-yet-sent post cards, the cards from parents on the walls, my mini-pantry, all my books, etc. My make up bag also hasn't really been touched in a while. I've kind of given up on makeup...none of the girls in my foyer wear it, and it always wears off by the end of the day, so I don't even bother anymore, except for mascara. When I go out, of course I do my makeup, but there's nobody really worth "impressing" in class or in town. And yes, I read PerezHilton. Don't judge.

I've also started a collage on my closet door. The images have come from either Elle or National Geographic and I need to get another magazine soon to add to it. This is just one of the doors; I'll put another photo up if I get a lot more done on it. It's a nice way to pass the time, and I do make sure to read the articles en français:

I do think my favorite part is Alexa Chung sitting on the galaxy.

I've figured out that no matter what anyone tells you, it's completely true: French people do eat a lot, all the time. I haven't seen too much "moderation" since I've been here. They all eat a LOT of white bread, they pile it up with cheese, have dessert most of the time, and when they go out to eat most of them clean their plates. AND the servings in the restaurants are just as big as in the States. Even for lunch, they have three course meals! So, I've come to the conclusion that they just have superior metabolisms and it's impossible for me to keep up, so I need to STOP eating like a French person and restart eating like an American!! In ironic contrast, they have tiny, tiny glasses. It's impossible to find glasses larger than this:

And yes, my nails are purple. I love them.

My mom and I are in the process of planning our spring break in Paris/Aix-en-Provence. It's going to be here in only 5 weeks!! I can't believe that at all! I sat down and looked through my calendar while I was talking to Inga about where we want to go for weekends, and the semester is going to be over in the blink of an eye. Now I really do understand why people always want to stay abroad afterwards. However, I really kind of am ready to go home. Homesickness, I've found, isn't necessarily something that slams into you and makes you cry like a baby. It's more like a lingering pessimism in the back of your mind that constantly compares everything you see or hear to what it's like "back home." It's having a dream about moving into your new apartment and waking up and being disappointed. It's being frustrated that you can't even communicate half of what you want to because it's all in turns of phrases that can't even be translated into the other language. I think that homesickness leads to culture shock--I don't think you can have one without the other, because both require a comparison of the host culture to the home culture. I am having some acculturative stress, but, again, it's not this huge breakdown with tears. It's just...frustration, mostly. And hesitation. And putting off what I want/need to do because I don't even want to deal with getting this or going there or buying that in another language, another city, etc. I've been dealing with this by thinking "I'm going to do A, B, C, and D" when I get home, but maybe that's making it worse.

Hm. Who knows. Anyway, seeing my mom is going to be great, and we're going to tear Paris up and eat all of their cheese and be obnoxious Americans. And then we're headed to Aix for two days after that to just hang out.

I think this week a bunch of us are going to sit down and plan out our travels just until the end of the semester. It all starts with Easter!! I'm headed on a Chateaux excursion the 13th, and then Normandy the following weekend. I'll probably cry on that one. Count on pictures!