Getting closer

There are only a few days left before I fly to Chicago, and I am having mixed feelings right now. I was very excited about going to the US before, because it has always been a dream for me to study in this country, but I do feel that I will terribly miss home.

I am not a big fan of the so called "theories of culture shock" that I think are simple things, modelized by "experts" in search of credibility (I might be a little tough); whatever, what I want to talk about is that strange feeling of being torn between places I created an emotional link with. I started to really appreciate Sweden but had to leave it early which was quite frustrating because I was about to enjoy it a lot. Nevertheless, my return to France was incredible! After having been living in Bordeaux for the last 20 years, I never enjoyed it as much as I did during this summer!! The town has changed a lot, and is now an extraordinary (if not legen-dary) place to live in. The region offers so many different types of landscapes and summer activities, that no one day look like the previous ones; I am enjoying the presence of my family, my friends, beaches, restaurants, wine, and many exhibition like "Bordeaux fête le vin". Bordeaux is running for the "European Capital of Culture 2013" and therefore is making huge efforts to open itself more to tourism and Europe. It feels like the city is electric, more dynamic than ever!

It feels so good to be home right now that I don't want to leave the city at its best, even for the country that I have been dreaming of for years now! It just feels like its now the best time, but I have to go on. Don't think that I am complaining, my life is a dream and I am the luckiest person in the world, but traveling quite intensively made me appreciate home much better, and I am torn between so many places I love and I don't know anymore whether I am happy or sad...

On top of Bordeaux's cityhall, the French, European and American flags