Au revoir

Today was my last day in Paris. As my last few hours in Paris tick away, I would like to point out that this blog will soon end. I'll probably write one or two entries when I get home, but then I'll stop. Thank you to anyone who took the time to read it, double to those who actually enjoyed it!

I didn't do much today. This morning, I woke up, took a shower, mailed 10 pounds of books back to the US (the post office guy asked why I had so many, and I told him it was ENS's fault - he understood!), and then headed over to CUPA. We were going to meet and go to a restaurant to celebrate the end of the newspaper, but I never got the email saying which restaurant, so I just assumed we'd be meeting at CUPA. Before going there, though, I went to La Rue Plumet (where Jean Valjean lived in Les Mis!), took a few pictures, and listened to Eponine's song (in French, of course), "Mon histoire." Then, I got to CUPA and no one was there. I texted Chantal and she told me she was already at the restaurant, which was in the 13th arrondissement right behind the library! I was honestly ready to kill her - I live there! I had trekked all the way out there just so she could tell me to run home because they were all already there? Well, I came back, met them on a boat, and we had a fun lunch. I almost forgot how angry I was.

After lunch, Chantal and I headed back to CUPA to print out the newspaper so I could have a copy before I left. It looks nice! Then, I met Alix at La Fontaine Saint-Michel to get my last Berthillon. My favorite ice cream server was there and she was very sad to hear I was leaving. She told me that I have to come back. I wholeheartedly concurred, while I ate my triple scoop white chocolate, salted butter caramel, and raspberry rose.

My last meal with my host family was nice: salmon and rice. M. and Mme De La Taille loved the last newspaper. On the news, they had a special about Les Mis, but we didn't hear it because they couldn't figure out how to make the volume work on their new TV (they got a flat screen because their old TV died). Then, I headed over to Melissa's (fellow CUPA student - one who was here for the whole year) for a goodbye party. There, we all discussed how we were more French. I said I was more French because I was turning negative (but that's only because I don't want to leave, I'm sure - I've been very positive the whole time I've been here otherwise, I think!), and other comments that were thrown around were ones about cheese and not showering.

So, today I said goodbye to basically all the CUPA students, the CUPA staff, Alix, and tomorrow morning I will say goodbye to my host family. Leaving stinks. At least the French for "goodbye" is "au revoir" which literally means "until we see each other again." I'm definitely not saying "adieu."