An American Girl in Avignon

Who would have thought that something as simple as going to the grocery store could make me feel so good. When Sakinah and I were on our little afternoon shopping excursion, we thought it would be a good idea to buy something to eat for lunch during our excursion to the Pont du Guard. While browsing the aisles, we were attempting to speak all in French with each other (not only because Katy and Christophe were standing right there, but because we wanted to practice more amongst ourselves). As we were glancing over the different types of cheeses, a man and his son overheard us talking, and recognized our accents (I thought it was funny that some of my French friends think I speak with a Southern American accent…but I really wouldn’t know). This is inevitable. I heard him say to his son, “Je pense qu’elles sont américaines.” (I think that they are Americans). He caught me looking up at him and asked us if we were from England or America. We got to talking for awhile, and after a few minutes, he paused and said that he just wanted to tell us, “Vous parlez très bien le français.” (You speak French very well). It literally made my day!! :) I love it when a native French speaker comments us, because it encourages me and makes me realize that I am improving, whether I realize it or not. Sometimes a compliment is all one really needs as a confidence booster: as if to say, “Keep going, you can do this!” I was in a great mood for the rest of the evening.

Tonight, we all went to Red Sky to meet up with the Australians whom Sakinah, John, Adam, and Katie met in Barcelona the weekend before I went there. The girls were spending four days in Avignon in their whirl-wind European tour after their international internships. Meeting them and a boy from Canada, who had done Foreign Service work in Ireland for six years and had been here for the last two, made me realize that I should go after what I want: an international job. If they can do it, then so can I. I think for me it took meeting someone who works in an international field to realize that people do have these “fantasy jobs,” and if you work hard enough, so can you. I love studying abroad! You meet all kinds of people from all over the world and experience so many things. This time in France is so hard to put into words: it’s indescribably incredible. Again, “So Mom and Dad, do you guys mind if I stay over here for a little while longer?” Excursion to the Pont tomorrow and La Nuit des Musées!

XXX! À bientôt!