I have no great words of wisdom for my readers, as many others who have studied abroad seem to have when it is time to close this particular chapter of their lives.
All I have is a shattering sentiment of emptiness, as if something very precious from me has been stolen.
The funny thing is, though, that nothing has been stolen from me. To the contrary, I have been given so very much. The ability to feel such loss is proof, in and of itself, that this past year, I have loved and lived as much as I am capable.
I guess that all I can say is that I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to study in France, to discover Europe for the year, to have met Antoine in the university residence kitchen my very first day in Rennes, and to have loving family and friends who will be there for me when it is all finally over and I have arrived in Denver.
I know in my heart that this is far from being one of my last voyages — I have come to find that I have itchy feet, and that I thrive on change and the foreign. While my last year at university will certainly not be the same as study abroad, I expect it to be the preparation I need to lead the life I desire: one in which I can constantly learn, challenge myself, discover, and be an active participant in this world while I still have time in it.
And so I finish the last few pages of this adventure with a rather short epilogue, of which the last three words are:
To be continued.
Dani
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| Antoine and I after scuba diving next to the îles Cerbicales in Corsica, June 7th. |
