I am living with my friend Erica and her family for the summer, and working on their orchard. It's amazing to be able to spend every day outside, and a vast improvement from the waitressing I'd been doing for so long. I actually look forward to work every day now!
As I've been quite relaxed and relatively carefree this summer, I had a bit of a reality check yesterday. Around 7pm, while reading on the porch, I suddenly thought "I'm leaving in three months from today!!!"
My gut reaction was nervousness, but not a bad kind. The kind that comes from not yet knowing where I'll be teaching (or living, for that matter), not having received my paperwork in the mail yet (though I'm not supposed to get it until later next month), and just the general feeling of not being physically prepared. Mentally, however, I feel I am prepared.
I am so excited to get back to France, and this time, have a lot of time to really experience it. I have started making a list of things I want to accomplish while I am there, and I feel that I'll find so many opportunities that I can't even imagine right now.
For now, though, I am going to try to make the summer last and enjoy every minute. It is one of the first summers where I don't have to work 24/7 on weekends and it's amazing to be able to have fun with friends and family.
Here's to a long and leisurely 3 months :) and an amazing upcoming year!
