It’s almost impossible to believe that I’ll be flying back to the states two weeks from today. This semester has been a whirlwind of laughs, frustrations and unbelievably unique experiences I hope I will remember for the rest of my life. It’s a mix of emotions, really – on one hand, I’m ready to see my family, my best friends and return to Wake Forest. On the other, though, I’m sure I’ll experience a “reverse culture shock” on the way back, and come to miss “la vie quotidienne” (daily life) in France.
What is the only thing that could make me feel better as this wonderful semester comes to a close? Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I know, I know – Thanksgiving already happened, but the European version is too different not to share. We had class on Thanksgiving Day, and our visiting Professor organized a special dinner at a nice restaurant in Dijon. Turkey isn’t a popular French dish (they stick to chicken and pork) so, luckily, the chef incorporated it into the meal.
Thanksgiving dinner, France style. Not too different than what we’re used to in America, although the gizzards and innards were still inside everyone’s piece of turkey, which was a bit of a surprise.
I couldn’t snap a picture of the “tarte aux pommes” (apple tart) we ate for dessert, but it was close enough to regular apple pie. The biggest difference I noticed about this Thanksgiving dinner, besides the lack of parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc., was the amount of food. Like I told my mom after I got back from the restaurant, it was not the normal “Thanksgiving foodpocolypse” we’re all used to!
We left for Strasbourg, France the morning after Thanksgiving dinner. This was perfect timing considering Strasbourg’s status as “The Capital of Christmas” in Europe (thanks to its famous Christmas markets selling beautiful ornaments, spiced wine and artisanal Christmas decorations from the Alsace French region).
The Christmas lights strung throughout the city were spectacular and varied from street to street.
There’s really nothing like visiting the Christmas capital of Europe to get a girl ready for the holiday season. Now that I’m back in Dijon (which has a pretty impressive, albeit smaller, light display of its own) I’m reminded and constantly thinking of what lies ahead: time with family, reuniting with friends and celebrating the best day of the year. Even though the prospect of leaving this amazing country is looming over my head, I have so much to look forward to – it’s a win-win situation.
Enjoying some hot-spiced wine outside one of the markets.