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August 30

So here I sit in my new room at my new desk, a multitude of thoughts swirling through my head.
So I write.

The rest of my trip to Provence was wonderful. Saturday morning, Lauren, Kara, Carleigh, Jen, and I went to a local market. I think the market happens every Saturday, and it was like street markets in the U.S.

On the way to the market, we passed L’Eglise de Saint Trophime (Church of Saint Trophime). Its doors were wide open, welcoming any passerby into its cool darkness. I asked the girls to wait for me and went in. I walked around for a bit, marveling at the sculptures, the stained glass, and the tapestries. I also sat down and prayed for a few minutes. There’s something so peaceful about the quiet stillness of a church.

At the market, my friends and I wandered past stalls where vendors sold bread, meats, fish, spices, etc. There were also artisans selling their crafts and peddlers selling cheap junk. I bought a straw hat for our visit to the beach later that afternoon. It was 8 euro, but I really liked it and I know I’ll use it more. Hats are good for traveling and sight seeing, and it was just too cute to pass up.

After a quick lunch of sandwiches, we all headed to the Mediterranean Ocean. On the way, our bus passed through the Carmagues, a land reserve inhabited by horses, bulls, and pink flamingoes!

I was really excited to spend some time at the beach because I was not able to go to the beach at all this summer. The water was a little cold, but the sun was warm and I dozed in and out, listening to the sound of the waves and of chattering French families.

French families with topless French women. I was not ready for that. I, of course, knew about the stereotype of nude beaches and people walking around topless or whatever, but seeing it in person was completely different. And uncomfortable. And I was glad none of the half naked women chose to sit in my line of vision.

After a few hours, Peter, Wright, Kara, Jen and I walked around the little town. We ate ice cream and slushies and might have obnoxiously talked in English the entire time. Peter is a big fan of saying “America!” in a really hick accent when he feels like being a pain.

Exhausted, most of us slept on the bus ride back to Arles. We stopped at a boutique on the way back (I was still half asleep when we went in and therefore tripped on a rock, kicking it half way across the patio). I bought a little embroidered pillow stuffed with lavender, a product of Provence, and lavender bath gel. Smells amazing, and the little pillow is currently sitting atop my clothes in my dresser.

We had dinner as a group again, and after that we hung out for a bit at the hotel. Lauren, Peter, Wright, and I decided we wanted to go out for a bit. We ended up a place called Wallabeer’s, an Australian themed bar.

It was 70’s night.

I totally owned the dance floor.

Definitely led a bunch of French girls in the YMCA, and they had a lot of fun imitating my goofy dance moves. It’s questionable whether people back home think I have amazing dance skills, but the French loved me. At least, based on the reaction of the girls at Wallabeer’s.

Morning came all too early, and our group began the trek back to Dijon. On the way back, we stopped at the Pont du Gard, an ancient roman aqueduct. It is HUGE. And really cool. Once again, I am continually amazed that structures like that are still standing thousands of years later.

Jen and I went exploring and found a path that led to a really neat panoramic view of the river and the aqueduct.

As we continued our return to Dijon, I took a nap, wrote in my journal, and prayed about moving in with my host family. My main stumbling block is finding the courage to speak, and I just need the courage to talk as much as possible because that’s how I will learn.

Our host families came to pick us up at the hotel where we’d left all our baggage. My host mom was the first to arrive. The rest of the family is in the country at the family farm. I loaded all my luggage in the car and strapped myself in for an awkward car ride. We talked, but I was quiet and stumbled when I talked because I was nervous. We got to the house and Madame Briotet helped me bring my bags inside. She then began to prepare dinner while I started to unpack.

My room is pretty big, but sparsely decorated. I’m glad I brought pictures of family and friends. I have my own bathroom, but it only has a shower, not a toilet. The toilet is out in the hall. There are two cabinets for my clothes, and a rack in the bathroom for me to hang jackets and sweaters and such. I also have a little refrigerator, which is really nice because I can keep snacks and food for myself. There is also a piano in my room, as the youngest daughter used to play. That’ll be fun to play; maybe I can re-teach myself the piano this fall.

Dinner was some sort of cheese noodles and corn with green pepper. My family is probably laughing as they read this because they know I do not like corn. But, I was a good guest and ate everything on my plate. After dinner, Madame took me on a walk around the quartier (neighborhood). She showed me the bus stop where I can catch the bus to the university and showed me the best way to get to centre ville (the center of the city, which includes the main shopping and restaurant areas). She also gave me keys to the house and showed me how to get in and out of the front gate and the front door. Even though I haven’t met the rest of the family, I think I am really going to like the Briotets. Madame is really sweet and was good at asking questions that I could understand. She was also very patient with me as I stumbled through my answers.

I was also very pleased and relieved to learn that the family has wireless internet. I was worried about having to make trips to the local McDonald’s and the library to get internet access. Now, though, I’ll be able to email and Skype from the comfort of my own room. That’ll definitely make things easier.

Tomorrow, Madame Briotet has asked me to go to the country for a night. Even though I have my first controle (test) on Tuesday, I think I am going to go. It’ll be a really great way to get to know the family, and the more I know them, the more comfortable I will feel.

I’m still nervous. I don’t know when that feeling will go away. I’m still in shock that I am here in France, and that I have only been here for a week and a day. It feels like so much longer. Now that I am settling in, I’m starting to feel a bit of homesickness creeping in. I expected it to come, I knew it would; but that doesn’t necessarily make it easier.

So I’ll pray.

Hosea 14: 7-8: “They shall again live beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom like the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon. O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; your faithfulness comes from me.”