So here it is.. my last blog from France. I find it so hard
to believe that I’ve lived in France for over half a year now.. where does time
go, seriously? I can’t believe how different I feel about my French life now
than I did when I went home at Christmas! It’s amazing how much difference an
extra 3 months makes. I now feel like Boulogne is home.. almost as much as York
or Holywood. And now I have to leave – typical! I finally feel pretty at ease
with my French, have made good friendships with quite a few people, many who I know will be friends for life, really
settled at church and made a pretty busy life for myself and it’s all over. I
have to say, I never thought I’d be this sad to leave this place! It’s become
my 3rd home and it’s so weird to think that I’ll probably never live
here again.
My last week has gone a little like this.. I’ve had a pretty normal week of teaching really. Throughout
the week I had my photo taken with every class and lots of the teachers too. On
Wednesday I was invited to go for lunch with Madame Dubois and her daughter
Clémence. I hadn’t seen her in ages! So I met Madame Dubois at school and we
walked into town to meet Clem. We went to this lovely restaurant in Place
Dalton (main square in Boulogne) and Madame Dubois’ brother ended up joining us
too as he is a journalist for a newspaper (Voix du Nord) and the office is in
the centre of town. After lunch we went back to his office and he showed us how
the newspaper is put together and printed everyday – it’s the second most
popular regional newspaper in the whole of France! Lol after that Clem and I
went and took some photos on the beach as it was a beautiful day and then we
went back to school, met her mum and took some more photos there. I said
goodbye to Clémence that day as I knew I wouldn’t see her again. That was the
first of many goodbyes.. Thursday was my last proper teaching day so I really
made the most of all my classes. I went out for lunch with 2 of the English
teachers which was hilarious and so lovely. I gave a suitcase full of clothes
(mostly my skiing stuff) to Françoise after school, she’s going to keep it for
me until I come back to pick it up! She ended up dropping me home.. I had to
say goodbye to her in the car. That’s the first time I cried.. I think it just
all hit me! Mostly being really sad leaving people that have become my family
while I've been here, but also, I think, subconscious nervousness of what is to
come in Germany and all the uncertainty. I ended up having to escape and get
into my room where I cried for like half an hour.. luckily I then skyped Sarah
and she managed to get me out of the ridiculous state I was in! Friday was a
pretty packed day, I met Christine and the girls for lunch as that was my last
opportunity to see them. That was a goodbye that we pretended wasn't really
happening.. it would've been too difficult otherwise! I just gave them all a
massive hug; like I always do, like I’d see them in a few days and then
secretly cried behind my sunglasses on the way home.. so flipping hard! I
closed my French bank account (a lot more easily than I opened it, might I
add!) and then headed to school for 4.20pm, like I was told (oddly specific, I
know). I arrived there and when I got through the door, Madame Dubois was
waiting for me and I could hear people chanting my name. She led me through to
the courtyard, where the whole school (250 kids) were dressed in Green/various
Irish themed things, chanting my name and clapping. One of the most overwhelming things.. needless to say I pretty
much burst into tears there and then. They performed dances to 2 songs,
including the teachers! Then Madame Dubois said a few words and she asked if I
wanted to say something.. ahhhh.. anyone who knows me, knows that’s my worst
nightmare, even in English! I just about managed what I wanted to say in
between a mixture of laughs and sobs! After that, loads of kids came up and
gave me presents/flowers.. I got something from each class and then some
individual stuff too. So super cute : ) I then gathered myself together a bit
in the staff room with the teachers, looking through my presents. It wasn't long before I was summoned into the corridor again, where a group of sixièmes/cinquièmes
wanted photographs with me! After a few pictures, some of the girls started
crying.. which of course, got me going again. By the end of it they were all
hugging me.. haha. Bless, they’re so cute. Once we finally said a last goodbye,
I joined some of the teachers in the canteen for nibbles and champers –
standard. They gave me a beautiful necklace that all the staff had put in money
to buy me as a thank you :) That night one of the teachers was doing a music
set with her partner at a restaurant in town so they basically made that my leaving meal. So a group of teachers/staff from school headed to the restaurant
later, where we had a yummy meal and sang along to some hilarious songs! Later
on they presented me with a case of beer from the area and a scrapbook full of
photos and signed by all the pupils and staff. Actually so adorable! I nearly
cried again, but managed to hold it in. We ended up having a hilarious night
and staying out ‘til silly O’clock.. it was brilliant! Saturday was mostly
spent packing and sorting out last minute things. I hung out with the other
English assistant, Sarah.. we got takeout pizza and she motivated me to pack!
On Sunday, I had to be out of my room by 9.30 so they could clean it etc, so I
decided I may as well go to church one last time, as my train wasn't until 3pm.
Amazing, but also very bad plan! I loved being able to sing one last time and
seeing everyone again, but I got pretty upset AGAIN at having to say goodbye. I
hugged everyone, and ended up having to leave to stop myself crying.. I went round to Virginie’s (young English teacher) in a complete state, where she consoled me and fed
me. She’s amazing. After we ate, she came with me to pick up my bags from my
room, we put them in her car and said bye to my landlady. We then went for a
beautiful walk along the coast as we had some extra time before meeting Madame
Dubois at the station for my train. It was just what I needed; it calmed me
down and was such a lovely thing to have as my last memory of my French life. Then
it was time to say goodbye for the last time.. they put me on the train with
all my bags and stood on the platform and waved my train off. By that point I
was cried-out, so managed to hold myself together! A few hours on the train,
30mins on the RER, 80€ in excess baggage, an hour and a half flight and I was
finally home with my mum once more, and truth be told, there’s nowhere else I’d
rather be right now. Going to savour this week at home before being swallowed
up by another foreign country.. trying not to think about it too much.
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