Weekend getaway: Provence Take 2

kitties in Arles

Bonjour à tous!

For the past weekend, I escaped to the South of France again to have some down time with my host family from the summer (who are hands down the best, I mean come on, they made me poulet rôti with sautéed potatoes and buttered mushrooms).

Needless to say, seeing my host family again meant a huge, hourlong hug/kiss/snuggle fest, with the accompaniment of myriad questions about my life in Paris starting with my entrance into the house, lasting through dinner (my twelve-year-old host brother Louis cooked pasta for me!), all the way until we were dozing off on the couch together. I also couldn't stop asking them about everyone I met in Arles over the summer. Guess what, my host brother's cousin's grandma, whom I've met briefly during a weekend barbecue, even sent me a photo of me which she took that day!

me at the market

The weekend went by entirely too quickly. All I seem to remember is lying on the couch with Louis and playing silly games on iPad and having a Sophie Marceau movie marathon while munching on something delicious the whole freaking time. That may sound like a totally unproductive, counterintuitive way to spend my short time in Arles, and trust me, in the beginning I thought so too, however I ended up completely happy and relaxed. It was that casual, carefree lounging around that made it feel like I was at home. Like at home home, where I get babied and fed and kind of always got my way. It was comforting to be able to have something exactly like this when I'm thousands of miles from my real home, and finding another place that I can call home.

downtown Arles

the Rhone river

At the same time, wandering through the wintry Arles streets in a way made this place more real to me, more physical somehow. This second trip here makes Arles no longer just a summer reverie, one of those places only associated with certain times and conditions and even sounds and smells (I'm sure you all have similar vacation memories or short episodes in your life that feel that way in retrospect). Seeing Arles in all seasons renders it more concrete in my heart, and I realize I truly love this place.

Cheers to wonderful weekends and family time.

xx

Vanessa :]

Goodbyes are hard

my host family and I on Polaroid

Bonjour à tous!

Today I said goodbye to my host family, which was so much harder than I imagined. As I embraced my host parents and little brother, I couldn't help but cried. And so did they, which made my tears even harder to hold in. 

Before my stay in Arles, the idea of "host family" was just a way for me to observe the so-called authentic French life. Six weeks later, upon the farewell, I realize that I was wrong. For the past six weeks, in almost no way was I merely a bystander that watched and learned - instead I was a member of the family; I participated. 

Louis and me in Polaroid

It is almost funny thinking back to my first days in this small, historic town, when I was surprised by before-dinner sausages and wines and got lost constantly on my way to classes. Now I'm so used to many French customs that I don't even think twice before I do them: I give everyone three kisses as greetings in the morning, and three more as goodbye; I expect to find wines and baguettes on the terrace at my host home at 7pm every evening, followed by a late but light dinner; I got into the habit of taking a small coffee after every meal... The examples are endless. It's just fascinating how much one adapts to an environment without even noticing. Looking back, I became a lot more assimilated into French life than six weeks ago.

my friends from the program and me at Pont du Gard

And I can shamelessly say that I feel proud of myself, for participating. For learning and having curiosity, for trying everything and accepting most things. This is why I love traveling so much, after all, I guess. That I can truly be a part of the local life, but a however short or long period of time. That I can participate in this wonderful thing that is human culture, that differs so much across the globe but is always awe-inspiring. I really hope that by traveling, I can be  more and more open-minded, welcoming, and understanding. I hope I can be a world citizen by learning others' ways and teaching them mine.

Feeling nostalgia and peace of mind at the same time.

xx
Vanessa :]