April Showers Bring May Flowers?

Remember how last week was great and full of sun?
Yeah, well this week was full of clouds, rain, and cold. So naturally all of us Americans who are mostly used to nasty spring weather complained and complained all week long. Because we're in the south of France and we were promised sunshine. The fact that it even rains is a travesty. It was even humid one day. The horror.

This week passed without much special happening. I had some classes, did some internships, ate some chocolate, hung out in the cave, and went walking in the rain.

Wednesday though I got to go on a fun adventure called, "Go to Marseille for Your Medical Visit to Be Able to Stay in the Country". This has been hyped up for weeks. We knew we were going to have to go, all of us with the unfortunate luck to have turned in the OFII or just have gone to the Boston consulate for our visas. I turned in the OFII due to some confusing circumstances, but it's no big deal now. However, I find it very funny that after being in France for three months already they now schedule us to go to Marseille. If I had diseases, they'd be in your country already... Sorry about that. This visit has been talked about and made much more terrifying that it actually is. I'll admit, the thought of having to go to the doctor and speak in French and get an x-ray (oh no, not that!) is kind of scary. I mean, when was the last time you were taught medical jargon in a foreign language?

But to my surprise, everyone there was very nice and not scary government people at all. They even let me keep my x-ray!

Thumbs up for no tuberculosis!

Just kidding, everyone got to keep their x-rays, I'm not that special. The doctor and I did have a nice conversation about going to the beach though instead of sitting in Marseille on a rainy day. So thumbs up, France, you did well that day with the governmental regulations and such. I do wonder though if the fact that I could speak to them in almost entirely French gave me some brownie points. Oh well, il faut profiter, as the French say. Then we trekked home via subway and bus to return to Aix, go grocery shopping, then go home and crash.

REFLECTION TIME!
Guess what? I finally feel comfortable here.
"Finally, Catharine, it only took you three months."
I know, I know, but better late than never, eh? I was walking to school one day just minding my own business and being rather happy and comfortable and in my routine. I actually feel like this is my regular real life now. Then all of a sudden it hit me. This isn't my usual life, I'm going to go back to Pittsburgh and everything will be different. I won't have this time ever again and I need to embrace all of it. This kind of contrasts what I said a few posts ago, but hey, two weeks is a long time. I think it helps that I've made some awesome friends here, the weather is beautiful (normally), classes are going great, and French comes more naturally. I'm still not fluent, not by far, but it's not a struggle.

I spend most of my days hanging out in the sunshine and laughing with my friends. It's going to be so rough going back to CMU where everyone works themselves into the ground. I go to markets and buy fresh fruits and veggies. For dinner someone else cooks for me and feeds me good healthy food without fail. My friend and I were talking yesterday and realized that reverse culture shock might be harder than culture shock.
What do you mean you don't have a bakery on every corner? You don't have multiple markets everyday? It's not sunny without fail? I don't have time to sit in the park and nap? There's only ten kinds of cheese in the grocery store? Chocolate is over two dollars? Dollars?! What's a dollar?! There's less than four kinds of vegetables on my plate? Your date format is month/day/year?

I'm sure all will be fine, but in two weeks my outlook on all of this has completely changed. So my friends, wherever you are, il faut profiter!

PS. Check out my photography class blog, our new photos have been posted!