Where Did the Time Go?

Bonjour tout le monde!

The past few weeks have been hectic, and have happened so fast that I can't even think of where I should start.  Last Thursday, we had our Thanksgiving dinner with all of the students from API, as well as our two resident directors, and it turned out to be incredible!  Everyone brought something to eat, and I was astonished at the quality of the food.  Who knew that after throwing a bunch of college students together, you'd actually get a bunch who can actually cook?

Anyways, the Thanksgiving dinner was nice.  Everyone said what they were thankful for, and everyone talked, shared stories, and all of the other mushy things one would expect.  That's because, in our own way, API has become like another family. 

And the next morning, with this family, we left for Strasbourg.  For those of you who don't know, Strasbourg is known as the Capital de Noel, and is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen in my life.  Strasbourg is well known for its Christmas markets during this time of year, as well as the beautiful Christmas lights that illuminate the city.

*Fun fact: Strasbourg is located in the region of Alsace, and has changed nationalities frequently in history.  It bounced back and forth between German and French for quite some time, and for that reason, the culture is rich with both old French and German customs. 

With that being said, here are some pictures I took:

The entrance to the city center.  Incredible!

Lighting up the tree was quite the ceremony!  There was a live performance, accompanied by a light show!  Also, check out the video below to see the work involved.

Lights like this were strung up all around the city.

And this is what it looked like inside of the Christmas markets...

C'est moi!

Please ignore the lady staring awkwardly at the camera.

My favorite city lights.  There's something about this street...

This makes me wonder what it would be like to live in Strasbourg during this time of the year...

There was a really nice trail that zigzagged alongside the river.  It was quite nice.

And now, here's a video of some of the acrobats that performed during the ceremony:

So as you can see, Strasbourg was incredible.  Exploring the Marche de Noel during the day, drinking a bit too much vin chaud during the afternoon, and spending a tranquil evening walking the city alone, seeing the lights.  Most people were surprised that I wasn't out partying, but that's not typically my scene.  Sometimes, the solitude is greatly appreciated.

And now, after having such an amazing weekend, it suddenly hit me today: I have three weeks left in the country.

Now for those of you who had been following me since the beginning, you must kind of find it funny to hear me saying that, because I said the same exact thing before leaving the United States.  It's strange how my perspective has changed so radically since I've been over here.  I thought my time passed quickly in the United States, but it passed even more quickly here.  To put it in perspective, I have only:

~ 2 more days left of each elective course
~ 4 more language classes
~ 2 potential runs to the Bastille
~ 3 weeks until my departure
~ 10 days until final exams

It's amazing how one's concept of time changes after being abroad.  Part of me is ready to go home, and excited to see all of my friends and family.  Not going to lie, I could go for a plate of boneless buffalo wings too!  But also, I will be truly upset to leave all of the friends I'm leaving here...

Rather than dwelling on how much time left, I'm going to embrace it.  Time seems even more valuable now.