Second Semester

I'm now well into my second semester in Lyon, France. This semester is harder scholastically because I am in regular French university classes, but my intensive language classes last semester are definitely proving to be helpful. It's still amazing to me that I know what's going on at all. Being proficient in a different language is so interesting. Words that seem like gibberish are coming into my brain and being processed quite normally. It's so much fun. :) 

My parents came to visit me over Christmas break and we traveled to Annecy, Rennes, Mont St Michel, and Paris. It's definitely a lot easier to travel on my parents budget. ;) In Februrary, I had the opportunity to visit Oxford, England another time. I haven't done loads of traveling this semester so far but I'm looking forward to doing some traveling in April, May, and June. I'll be traveling to the south of France (Avignon and Arles), as well as the west coast (La Rochelle), and then it'll be up to Amsterdam, down through Germany to visit some dear friends, back into France, then up into England and Scotland for some hiking before coming back to the states. 

It's hard to believe how fast this year is going by. I only have four months left abroad, only three of which will be spent in France. Back in August and September, I was sure that the eleven months would pass slowly but now I have no idea why I ever thought that. I am a little apprehensive about returning to the states. I'm a missionary kid, so moving around a lot has always been a part of my life, but I was never alone before. There are absolutely many features of Lyon that I will miss when I'm back in Kansas City.