It's November?!

Is my calendar correct? Is it really November? I can’t believe the last time I updated was a month ago…it feels more like a week.
You know the expression “when it rains, it pours”? That sums up how this past month has been. It’s been one thing to another, just bouncing around France (and Germany!!). Currently, I’m on break from school for two weeks. The French like big breaks at random times during the year (I have another one in Dec-Jan, Feb-March and April-May), and let me tell you, I’m really liking it too! I just returned from a week vacation in the French region of Alsace (on the boarder of Germany…think Strasbourg) and Germany. Among other things, we toured a bunch of cities, saw chapels and churches, vineyards and chateaus, went to a bread museum (only in France…), tasted the regions delicacies, stayed in a bungalow, monastary and four star hotel, and went to EuropaPark (the European equivalent of DisneyLand…well, it would be if Europe Disney didn’t exist). It was a whirlwind of an experience – I saw so many cities and so much history and had so much fun! It’s impossible to write it all down. I’m now into the second week of “Tous Saints”, and will return to school on Thursday. But then we’re off to Belgium on Saturday for another weekend and Astrid has promised to take me to Brussels!
My French is really coming along. I feel I’m at the point where I can understand almost all that’s being said, and can also hold my own in conversation past the standard “Bonjour, je m'appelle Kristen. Je viens de New York...mais l'etat pas la ville. Je suis un correspondant avec Rotary. J'aime lire. Qu'est-ce que tu aimes?" That being said, I still have difficulty expressing exactly what I want to say, because of several barriers: One, I always have to be wary of what I’m saying and how it translates. Some things translate literally much heavier than I intended, so it’s important to be on one’s guard, especially when expressing an opinion. The last thing I want is to offend anyone unintentionally! Two, my accent which is improving, but jeez those “r” sounds are just down right hard to say! And three, well it’s only been two months! I’m still not an expert in the French vocabulary.
Other things I’ve done in the past month include taking as many walks as possible while the sun is still out and relatively warm, babysat a few more times, attending meetings of a religious group I’m part of (the purpose of the group is to get together once a month or so and discuss current events. It’s a Catholic group, and I’m Methodist, but I find it interesting to hear another religion and culture’s ideas and opinions), voted for the first time with an absentee ballot, had my first, had my first Halloween away from home (which didn’t even exist really…the French don’t celebrate it and we had just one trick-or-treater which was one more than the de Moffarts were used to having), and attended a large Rotary dinner where among other things, I ate cheese ice cream. Oh yes. Cheese. Ice cream. CHEESEICECREAM. It was…quite an experience.
I’m doing really well and am loving my time here in Compiegne. I’m so happy to have met so many nice and wonderful people, traveled and experienced so much already and have such a wonderful host family. I had a few days last month where homesickness crawled up silently behind me and covered my eyes with its nasty, slimy hands, but I know both from Rotary’s warnings and talking to other exchangees that it’s perfectly normal.
Well that’s all for now. Hope everyone is well and is having a fall. Thank you everyone for your well wishes, love and support! I miss and love you all too!

Bisous,

Kristen