Est-ce que c'est vraiment le fin?

I can't believe it's really the end! Tomorrow I take my last final, finish packing and say goodbye to my host family. This whole thing has gone by so fast! Now, I already waxed poetic about all of the things I've learned so I thought in this post I'd compile a list of things I've missed about the states, and things I'll miss about France.

First, things I've missed about America:
1. Dryers. Dryers are not environmentally friendly. Yes, I understand this. But I'm sorry, drying my clothes on a rack in the hallway does not get them nearly as soft as a dryer would.

2. Living on a college campus. I really enjoy the feeling of community I get living so close to friends at WashU. I love living in a city like Paris, and I love my host family, but I miss the WashU bubble. Also, I've never appreciated how convenient it is to have all of your classes in one place! Commuting between the 9th the 6th and the 17th everyday can get a little wearing, even with the convenience of the metro.

3. Stores that are open on Sundays. Nothing is open here on a Sunday. I mean nothing. And I, not being used to a country where the idea of 24/7 convenience is completely ridiculous, have more than once found myself without lunch on Sundays, munching on melba toast or whatever small snack I have in my room to tide me over until dinner.

Things I will miss about France:
1. Sandra's cooking. Oh. my. god. She makes the most amazing meals! Cassoulet, blanquette de veau... my tummy will be very sad to leave here.

2. Living in a walkable city. I have grown to love walking while I'm here. It's just so much more convenient to walk here than in St. Louis. The sidewalks are wide, the architecture is beautiful so there's always something to see, and everyone does it! I walk so much that despite Sandra's cooking, I've unintentionally lost a couple of pounds while in Paris.

3. Pain au chocolat. I eat about 5-7 of these a week. It's all the wonderful things about a croissant (buttery, flakey, warm) plus chocolate! What could be better?

4. Baguettes. I love that this is just standard bread. And it's cheap! I've learned to eat it and love it like the French--sans butter.

5. Free access to some of the most amazing museums in the world and weekly art history classes in the Louvre.

6. Sandra, Bruno and the boys. I really got lucky with this host family and I'll miss them all!

So, to sum up, what I miss about America is convenience, and what I will miss about France is food. Haha, I've learned so much!