3.5 months from today...

I booked my flight back to the states today. Looks like I will be spending the better part of my birthday on a plane flying across the Atlantic Ocean and the continental US, but the cool thing is that with the reverse time change, my 22nd birthday will be 33 hours long! No time lost...
I have extremely mixed feelings about leaving here, though. On the one hand, I can't wait to see my friends and family again. I can't wait to find my own place to live and to start turning it into my home. I can't wait to find a job I love doing, and to start working toward an ultimate goal, whatever it may be.
On the other hand, I am dreading leaving this wonderful place.. I can't begin to describe how much I love it here. Grenoble is like no other place in the world. It's a fairly small town, sort of quiet, but there's alway something to do or somewhere to go. I love the slower pace, the laid back atmosphere, and the overall opposite way of life. I love that every day when I walk outside I have a crystal clear view of the alps, and I love that every day when I walk outside it's like I'm seeing them for the first time. I love that people here are interested in what's going on in the rest of the world, and don't have to check the news every day for the latest terror alert. I love that everything is closed on Sundays - however inconvenient it may be - because it forces you to take a chill and realize what beauty there is in having nothing to do. I love that the world is at my doorstep.
I'm afraid that once I go back to California all of these things that I love so much will disappear from my life completely only to be replaced by the dull rhythm of every day life. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things and people I love back home, but I can't help feeling afraid that once I go back I will never feel this way again. This is the best feeling in the world - to be in love with life. What if it all gets left behind on June 16th, never to be found again? I'm probably just being dramatic.
I can't wait to come home again. But I can't wait to come back again either.

Misunderstood

Do you ever wonder how much of you people truly understand and how much of you people think they understand? I have had two (if not more) experiences lately that have made me question exactly that... It's somewhat frustrating to find out that no matter how well you think you know someone and no matter how well you think they know you, there will always exist certain things that some people can never understand, no matter how simple they may seem. It makes me wonder just how much people actually listen when you try to tell them something.. I feel misunderstood and I feel as if no matter how hard I try to explain myself to others - why I do the things I do, why I feel the way I feel, why I am the way I am - they will always hear something different from what it is I'm trying to say. But then one should never have to explain herself to anyone else, right? I guess all I'm trying to say is that I thought you knew me better than that.

Salsa and Blues

Last night was salsa night again at the Loco Mosquito (what a name for a French bar, huh?). I didn't do much salsa-ing, but had a great time nonetheless. It was packed as usual, and straight away I noticed a boy with beautiful blue eyes standing across the room looking in my direction. My group of friends had split in two, each half standing on opposite sides of the room. So I made my way over to the half that was standing right next to the boy with beautiful blue eyes, and just let myself have fun. Between Ellen's horror story about how she let her roommate do her makeup, and the lack of space on the floor leading to numerous quasi-violating experiences with other people salsa-ing into me all night long, the night was quite entertaining. I never actually ended up talking to the boy, but continued to look over at him and smile throughout the night. Maybe the next time salsa night rolls around he'll be there again.

HOME

I think that the novelty of this place has finally worn off and now it's almost home. It's a comforting feeling but at the same time a frustrating one, because I know that in 4 months I will have to pack up and leave. I was watching Garden State the other day, and there's a scene in which Zach Braff's character is talking about how as you get older, your definition of home sort of gets lost. It's no longer the place where you grew up, because you've moved on from there. And it's not the place you are now because your life continues to evolve, and you continue to grow out of the places you inhabit. One day you'll find it again, but until then you sort of wander the world trying to learn about who you are and where you fit in the scheme of things. I can definitely relate to what he was saying, and it's actually a thought that's been running around my head for some time now. Where is home? I guess I'll know when I find it. But until then, I am more than happy being here for the next 4 months, and will be sad when it comes time to leave.

Mardi Gras, Mountains and Manifestations

Hello all...

As of right now I still have no news to keep you updated on, but plenty of pictures for you to look at (just click on the title). This week was Mardi Gras and I went out with a few friends to celebrate just a little, so there are a couple pictures from that. There are also pictures of the mountains that I see every single day and just can't get enough of, and of the student manifestation in town today. They were protesting some kind of education reform, but I'm not sure what it's all about. So have a look and enjoy! You'll be hearing from me again soon.
-Liv

Moguls and snowboarding do NOT mix!

Sorry for having been so neglectful lately to this blog... For some reason the words that usually come so easily when I sit to write have been harder to find. But just to give you all an update:

Classes are going well. We're in week 3 or 4 by now and things are going great. I'm enjoying what I'm learning, enjoying my teachers (well, all but one), and enjoying just being here. Grenoble is definitely feeling like home. I still have the occasional bout with homesickness, but it comes and goes quickly.
I've been passing the time hanging out with friends - old and new - and snowboarding. Today a bunch of us went to 7 Laux, another ski station that boasts an incredible view and miles of great terrain to board on. I took off by myself for the morning and met up with a few people from our group for lunch. But as luck would have it, the first run after we ate I fell hard trying to maneuver some moguls and ended up re-spraining my already sprained ankle, and re-popping my already popped knee from that not-so-lovely day at Chamrousse about 2 weeks ago. I don't know how, but I managed to make it back down to the base of the mountain and to the first aid office, where they took x-rays and don't worry mom nothing is broken. But my left leg from knee down hurts so badly that it's difficult to walk and I've been instructed to rent some crutches and avoid snowboarding for 3 weeks! I'm bummed. I could be a lot worse off, but still. Hopefully this heals quickly so I can get back out there.

So there you have it. The latest news. Life is good, I'm happy - except for the fact that I can't snowboard for 3 weeks - and France is great. Love you all, and miss you terribly. Oh yeah, and click on the title of the blog for a link to the pictures from 7 Laux and miscellaneous.
-Liv