The General

there was a decorated general with
a heart of gold, that likened him to
all the stories he told
of past battles, won and lost, and
legends of old a seasoned veteran in
his own time

on the battlefield, he gained
respectful fame with many medals
of bravery and stripes to his name
he grew a beard as soon as he could
to cover the scars on his face
and always urged his men on

but on the eve of a great battle
with the infantry in dream
the old general tossed in his sleep
and wrestled with its meaning
he awoke from the night
just to tell what he had seen
and walked slowly out of his tent

all the men held tall with their
chests in the air, with courage in
their blood and a fire in their stare
it was a grey morning and they all
wondered how they would fare
till the old general told them to go home

[CHORUS:]
He said: I have seen the others
and I have discovered
that this fight is not worth fighting
I have seen their mothers
and I will no other
to follow me where I'm going

So,take a shower, shine your shoes
you got no time to lose
you are young men you must be living
Take a shower, shine your shoes
you got no time to lose
you are young men you must be living
go now you are forgiven

but the men stood fast with their
guns on their shoulders not knowing
what to do with the contradicting orders
the general said he would do his own
duty but would extend it no further
the men could go as they pleased

but not a man moved, their eyes gazed straight ahead
till one by one
they stepped back and not a word was said
and the old general was left with his
own words echoing in his head
he then prepared to fight

[CHORUS]

go now you are forgiven

I have a couple friends who sing and play guitar, and they thought that this song was perfect for exchange. I love it so much, and I hope everyone can learn a little something from it. 

On a different note, I woke up realizing that I'm leaving in a good 20 hours to go to a town and people that I haven't seen for almost a year. I have question upon question buzzing through my head: How am I going to fit 23 kilos into a suitcase? How am I going to wake up at 3 AM tomorrow? Am I still the same person that got off that plane 10 and a half months ago? It's hard to tell. I feel like I haven't changed much, only because I have been the one changing. But what would someone else think? I'm excited, but worried at the same time.

I've been wondering as well if I've been what someone would call "successful" as an exchange student. Do I speak French as fluently as I'm supposed to? Did I integrate with my classmates as much as I should have? Did I go enough places? Do enough other activities? I don't know, but I loved this year, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. 

I wanted to say thanks for everyone who helped me this year-especially my parents- for helping with all those stupid documents to fill out, all those trips to New York for the visa, paying for all those bus trips, and being there for me every step of the way, even when I was so homesick that I didn't know what to do with myself. You guys all helped make this year the best one of my life. 

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.

It's not a year in a life. It's a life in a year.

Mixed Emotions

Two weeks from now, I will be on a plane bound for Detroit, which will later go to Syracuse, back to my family.
It's so weird saying to people that I'm going home soon. For a year, this was my home. My friends were my friends. My families were family. Do I really need to leave this second world to go back to my first one? Does this year really need to come to a close?
These past few weeks, I said good-bye so many times. I cried. I hugged. I held on to best friends for dear life, afraid that this would be the last time I'd see them. It's so hard to say good-bye, or even "see you later" to a group of people you've gotten so close to this whole year. It's hard, but it's something all exchange students have to go through. We all feel that emptiness inside as we leave our friends for the last time. We all have a certain attachment to the people here, to the country, to the other exchange students living here, that people who aren't exchange students can't understand completely. We want to stay, but we can't. We have to go back.
But at the same time, we are excited about going back. We're happy to see everyone- our friends, our family, our pets, and sleep in our own beds. We want to go back to living our "old lives", but at the same time, that life is never going to be the same. Some people might even change it completely. We will look at our world from a new pair of eyes. After being gone for so long, are we going to fit in again? Are we going to find our place in our "old new" country? These questions wander through our heads, but only in time will we figure out the answers.
The clock is ticking. Time is running out. For some of us, it already has. I remember the first Rotary weekend of the school year, we were all talking about how much this year was going to rock. We talked about all the time we had. We had the whole year ahead of us. Only now do I realize that a year goes by way too fast. I got off the plane. I blinked. I'm here.
I'll never forget this year. The exchange students- in my Rotary district and those I've met on the bus trips. I'll never forget my school, and all the amazing friends I've made there. I'll never forget my host families. Without them, I wouldn't have made it this far. I'll never forget the trips I went on. How many people my age can say they've been to Paris? Or Barcelona? Or Venice? Or Prague? Not very many. I'll never forget French. Not just the language, but the culture, the people, and the food. I'll never forget. I don't want to forget.
I've encountered so many people this year. I've seen so many places. I've tasted all kinds of food. I came to France an American, and now, I feel like I'm coming to America as one of the French. I'm sad about leaving my new "home away from home", but at the same time, I couldn't be happier to come back. This year was something unforgettable, and I can't wait to take the experience home and share it with everyone else.