Spring semester - part 2: la tempête avant le calme

With all the events, projects, last classes and preparation for the finals, the second part of this semester has been super busy and stressful but has also absolutely flown by (just as the entire year actually...). It's hard to believe that I'll be home in only two weeks.

Again, these last couple of weeks have been all about learning (and obviously teaching...) new things, discovering new places (nice wineries, Philly and Pennsylvania with the girls) and connecting with new people (but also losing connection with others and that's alright).

Our quick trip to Philly was great and actually much needed at that moment, plus it was nice to get out of our small community and experience city life for a weekend. It was also our last trip together (minus Haithem...) and it felt a bit weird after all we've done together all year long.

PHILADELPHIA, PA

These last couple of weeks I've also spent a lot of time working and reviewing with my students, helping them going through the semester and I have to admit I maybe got a bit too involved with them, taking their cause and struggle a little too much at heart. On Monday I taught my last classes and I realised I'll miss these kids a lot. I feel very privileged to have gotten to know some of them more, to have listened to them and that we all shared different aspects of our own cultures. It was rewarding and that's what I love the most about teaching, it makes me so empathetic and understanding.

Yesterday I said my first goodbye and after that it really struck me that this was the end of my experience here. I'll miss this place and my work a lot for sure but it's mainly the people I've met here that I'll miss the most. Never would have I imagined I could get inspired that much by so many people in the same place. I love my life here a lot but I truly believe that the way an experience goes depends on the people you meet and you're with mainly. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed my experience here that much if it wasn't for my housemates, my students and all the amazing people I got to spend time with this year. I am so grateful.

I feel like I still have so many things to discover and do here but yet so little time left, and with all the packing and last minute things I have to do, it's going to be hard to coordinate... Hopefully at least, we'll have some more gorgeous days like we've been having lately...