Weather and Time

So first things first: the Alsatian weather is definitely as bad as Indiana’s weather. It was BEAUTIFUL on Sunday: Warm, sunny, not a cloud in the sky, the last 2 days have been kind of cloudy, a bit cooler, but still decent enough I went around in capris and sandals (I’m such a Hoosier lol everyone else is in jackets and scarves, and I have my hoodie “just in case”), and today, it’s back to being BEAUTIFUL.

I’m at Place Gutenberg again, and I have time to kill before class (about 3 hours), and I really don’t know what to do with it. I went on a very mini shopping spree, as I found a Claire’s here. I got a new watch, which I kind of needed (I mean my cell phone suffices, but the way I pack up anymore, it’s hard to get to), some earrings, and a necklace. The earrings were the only thing not on sale, and frankly if it hadn’t been 13 euro, I would’ve bought a Disney Princess umbrella I found. Maybe if I get this job, I’ll buy it.

Speaking of, I may email soon about it. Even if it’s only a contract job, I’ll take it. I’ve seen a school here that teaches kids English, and I have yet to go to that bookstore, The Bookworm, and see about working there.  ANYTHING to bring in a little money, so I’m not always hitting up my family for cash.

One of the things that gets me about Strasbourg is just how diverse it is. When I was first reading about coming here, about a year and a half ago now, I remember reading the population was about the same as Fort Wayne, and identified it with a lot of aspects about Fort Wayne. Boy, was I EVER way off center. Not that I mind though. I just never expected what I’ve seen. On a daily basis I hear some combination of French, German, English, Chinese, and sometimes Japanese, Italian, and a handful of languages I just can’t identify. I’d heard there were a lot of Muslims/”Magrehbins” here and that never phased me, but it’s definitely more than in Fort Wayne. But every day I see a diverse city of tourists, students, immigrants, or people who may have lived here for a few generations now, but yet their heritage is something other than Caucasian-European.

As much as I at least felt I knew before leaving, it never compares to what reality is. I’ve carried on conversations in French, German, AND English, sometimes using a combo of those languages in one day. That’s definitely not something I ever did at home, outside of school. If I spoke French or German, it was someone fascinated that they had just encountered a multilingual American. Here, I do it to get by and have a meal to eat in the evening. I mean, I don’t mean to sound dramatic when I say it like that. I only say it that way to show that it’s necessity.

But, I really do love it here. I feel I’ve done a good job adjusting, despite the loneliness I feel almost on a daily basis. I can get around, know what’s what, read a paper, ask questions about my phone or internet (WHICH BOTH ARE DRIVING ME NUTS RIGHT NOW), and know what someone’s saying when they explain it to me. I play with random dogs on the streets when their owners stop for a second to let me pet them, I’m starting to be recognized at a few of my favorite hangouts, and life is starting to have a routine. I don’t feel like just some student here, I feel like my place is here. Sure, it’s not the same as being in the town you were raised in, but you should see my room…I TOTALLY live there (looks like a pink bomb exploded in the place, followed by Disney princesses and a bunch of makeup, and of course it’s a mess ;)).

A year ago, I was hiding in my bedroom, listening to my dad scream and yell at Debbie, and felt like the scared little child who didn’t know what to do when mommy and daddy were fighting. A year ago, I was struggling through my days, because I was running almost around the clock with little rest. A year ago, I was broken hearted, fearing living my life all alone, being just some dried up old spinster when I got older. But today, I’m watching a 110 year old carousel carry happy children around on a bright and sunny afternoon, and a young couple, probably each others’ first love, share their affection in the shadow of a statue dedicated to Johannes Gutenberg. I had always dreamed about days like today, but never thought they existed, but here I am, living exactly what I thought I’d never achieve.