Cast of Characters

This trip has been SO amazing, in part because of all of the people I have met.  I was so fortunate to be placed in such a caring host family, and amidst a great group of students.  Here's a little tribute to them (Imma write like I'm addressing some of them, in case they read this, however unlikely that is):

The Students
Abbey- Abbey you are so fun to be with!! You are always so cute, have some funny quip to add ("There goes JennBunny again"), and are really down-to-earth and relatable.  It was great to get to know you, and I love how dedicated you are to the ski-team at Syracuse.  Woof.

Della- Known for the emphatic statements ("OMG, that is SOOO <adjective>") Della you are also a blast.  Your photography skills amaze me, and you seem to be educated on everything, which is why it is always so interesting to talk to you.  Plus I like that you have learned to sass the locals in French :)

Jenna- Jennbunny, you were the cultural lifesaver this trip.  I appreciate how enthusiastic you were for everything, and loved LOVED your catchphrases (Thank G/ I'm All About That, etc etc)  As our ethnic chameleo ;) it was always entertaining to go out with you at night.  I also like you are genuinely interested in all of the people here and such a good listener; it made it a great experience to share with you.

Patrick- Aight Texas, you were a good sport, hanging out with all us girls for the whole six weeks :)  Thanks for being our enforcer/body-guard/decision maker when the going got tough.  I didn't see you all that much, only on weekends, but you, like Della, always had a great educated opinion on everything, which I appreciate.

Molly- Queen of the secret sassiness, you were the biggest surprise here!  Haha it was great to spend time with you, to vent about the pig-headed French guys here.  I love your passion for magazine journalism and fashion; you will go far!  P.S. Thanks for not teasing me about my spending habits :)

Eduardo- I felt like you were one of the most open and cultured people of the group.  I really appreciated discussing/debating issues with you (even if it was at 2 AM :D) because you have very strong and heartfelt opinions that are backed by very educated reasonings, which is SO refreshing.  Thanks for taking care of all of us girls and walking us home every night!

Brianna- Girl, you are a hoot!  I loved that you put everything out there in such a care-free manner and held nothing back.  You are truly an adventureous spirit who didn't give a darn, and it was great to get to know you.  P.S. I'm totally jealous of your dance moves :)

Sheerin- Sheerin, you were absolutely enthusiastic about everything, which was great.  You made every experience into a learning one, and you always had something to add to the conversation.  I loved that you know how to make the most out of every situation, and you seem to find the coolest things to do around here!

Erin- Erin I appreciate your incredible passion for everything you do- your music, the culture here, your internship.  I can really tell that you invest yourself in the things you do, which is an incredible trait to have.  (That pastry was awesome, by the way).  Hearing you talk, you can tell that you have a love for just DOING- whether it be practicing cello, traveling, or making 1000s of macaroons.  You go girl!

Andrew-  Only knew you for the first three weeks, but it was cool to have you around!  I felt like you had a lot of experience under your belt, so it was fascinating hearing your take on different cultures.  Plus it was fun seeing you and Patrick light things on fire. Hope you're doing well in your travels.

Laura-  Wooo what would I have done without you this trip, internship/workout buddy?  Thanks for keeping me sane and taking time to have adventures with me (pranayama, anyone?).  I don't know about you, but I'm gonna miss going to that crappy little gym and kabitzing with the local frenchies.  Also, thanks for understand my weird fetishes with home improvement and sharing my appetite for food :)

Xi- Xi you are such a sweetheart, and I am in awe how you tackle each new experience calmly (man if I were you I'd be freaked out about being in France!)  You always took everything in stride, laughed at all my stupid jokes (including my chinese accent, which incidentally, wasn't a joke...), and were diligent about your work (even when the French weren't).  We need to stay in touch, for real!

The Adults (now in third person)
Profs Eddie Smigiel and Emmanuel Alby from INSA- great directors, even if they were absent much of the time.  It was evident that they were busy with their actual jobs, so I appreciated them taking time out of their work days to explain processes to me.  They were also very patient when I came across stumbling blocks, most of which occurred through my own stupidity.

Prof Poulet from INSA- this guy wasn't even my professor, but he definitely took me under his wing, something that I'll never forget.  From hosting a lavish lunch at his house, to driving us around in his swanky BMW, to teaching us French politics and history, to taking us on an excursion to Mont Saint Odile and Wine Tasting, to presenting us with regional gifts, this guy was AWESOME.  Plus he told really funny (unintentionally so) stories, like the first time he dated his wife ("...and then she just kissed me!  I was so confused!)

Sabrina, Mme Hardenberg, Alison- these women from the Syracuse center I only really came in contact with once a week, but they were all very helpful.  Sabrina always sent great emails encouraging us to go out on the town and providing us with opportunities to do just that.  Mme Hardenberg, a former french teacher who reminded me a lot of Madame, was quick to share her love for French culture by pouring over the extensive DVD collection at the center and making personal recommendations. Alison took me and Xi to the market for our picnic, and told us fascinating stories of her moving here as a student from the US, meeting her French husband in mime school, and falling in love with the culture.

M. Dominic- the director of SUAPS at the Centre Sportif at the university, he was a good-natured, boisterous, funny guy who liked to practice his broken English with Laura and me.  He always let us in for free (that's on the hush-hush though) and greeted us happily every time we entered the room.

Prof Bach- the director at the Syracuse Center, this man was very knowlegeable and informative on all topics. He led us personally through Strutthof, the French concentration camp, and spoke passionately about the horrific past there.  He is a really smart guy, to say the least.

M. Marxer- another director at the center, he was a bit more gentle and soft-spoken that Prof. Bach.  He amazes me, being fluent in French, English, German, and, surprisingly, Japanese (his wife is the cute little Japanese woman with a huge camera always around her neck).  He is so cultured and sophisticated, and exudes such a calm and soothing manner that everyone loves to talk to him.  Plus he's generous and kind, so every excursion we went on ended up being very pleasant, even in the worst weather conditions.

M. and Mme Gosselin- my host parents were a hoot!  Kind and endearing, they always treated me like royalty and expected nothing in return.  They took the time to get to know my personal interests, and paid me the highest compliment by sharing theirs (the French are very private, by the way).  Both were unintentionally hilarious in their kooky old age (fighting pigeons with a dustpan was the daily morning norm in the Gosselin kitchen) and I will miss them dearly.

Okay, well that's that!  Sorry it was so long- I just met so many great people!