A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes (peter pan)

This past weekend was possibly one of the best I have yet to have in France, and maybe even one of the best of my life. I went to Nice, St. Tropez, and Eze on the French coast touching the Mediterranean, aka, The French Riviera. The buildings, the sea, the land scape, were all so beautiful and breathtaking. St. Tropez is a port in France, famous for its yacht users, and I must say that I saw some pretty impressive boats. We walked around the town for a while, which is built on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean, replete with cobblestoned, winding streets. The buildings are all painted different colors such as yellow and orange, with mismatched shutters. It was absolutely adorable and charming. My resident director, Marie told us that St. Tropez could be the French version of Malibu. Personally, I did not find St. Tropez as glitter stricken as Malibu, but maybe that is because I visited in the off season. After St. Tropez, we made our way to Nice, which is a large city on the sea. The architecture in Nice is gorgeous- big white buildings with intricate crown molding, and the older part of town is similar to the St. Tropez architecture. I got to play on the beach and dip my toes in the Mediterrianen. Quite a few people acutually went swimming, not this chica. I am from the South. I have a physical intolerance to cold water, but most of the people who swam are from Boston, so this water was either equal to, or warmer than what they are used to. I went to Mass Saturday evening, which was very interesting because I have never been to Catholic Mass or church in French. So that was a good experience, and no matter the language, it is always a positive and uplifting place to go! And it was Palm (Saturday, not Sunday). I will be attending Easter Mass this coming Sunday as well. For dinner that evening I had smoked salmon on buttered toast with a salad on the side. As usual, it was delightful. That night my friend Ali and I promenaded along the coast and through town. We returned (exhausted) to our hotel, and shared a few cookies and had girl talk time. On Sunday, we had the chance to see a marathon going through Nice, and after that we went to a parfumerie, which is where perfume is made. I now understand why perfume is soo expensive: it takes a literal Ton of lavender to squeeze out the essential oils that fill a liter bottle. We were free to walk around town for a while, and then we packed up to head back to Grenoble! The weather was fabulous,landscape marvelous, and company delightful. I could not have dreamed up a better weekend. I now have exactly a month left, and I can't believe how quickly it went by. It seems like yesterday that I was at home, and leaving for France in a month. I have been dreaming of being in France for years, planning for months, and enjoying every moment of it for weeks. These last weeks are going to fly, and I intend to make the most of them. I won't go so far as to say that study abroad changed my life, I'm a whole new person, but it opened my eyes to a few things. It gave me the chance to spend some quality time with myself, meet cool people from all over the world, and just have a few carefree months. I will never in a million years regret leaving my home and my family to travel here, nor will I forget the friendships and relationships I have made. I am truly blessed, and I do believe I am the most happy that I have ever been.

Love.

What a word this is. This tiny, four letter word can sum up an infinite amount of emotions, and has more power of our hearts and minds than any other word. Sometimes I think that I have experienced so much love in my life,that I take it for granted. Since the day I was born, I have been coddled and cradled, and spoiled. I have never gone without, all thanks to love. As a tender toddler I learned the words to the songs Jesus Loves Me, and Jesus Loves the Little Child. I learned that not only do my mommy and daddy, and grandparents love me, but so do Jesus! I grew up telling my parents good night I love you, and having it returned. And I as I grew up, I found out how to love my friends. How to celebrate with them when times were good, cry with them, and laugh with them. We give our heart to someone, the most sacred and fragile existence of our being, and sometimes they drop it, and watch it shatter into thousands of pieces. We stand there in pain, looking down at the mess around our selves, unaware of what to do or where to turn, swearing that this heart will never be mended. And then someone picks up a few of the pieces, they sweep up the broken pieces, and give them back to you. Another person, maybe a friend, will help you put a few of the pieces back together. And as the days go on, lots of friends and loved ones have helped pick up the pieces. And one day, without ever realizing the process, you know that all the pieces are back together. Maybe there are some cracks, it is not perfect, but it is mended, all thanks to those who love you. Then there is a blissful, unexpected day when you realize that someone else is worthy of holding this little treasure. We all know there is a risk it will be broken again, but we know that this heart heals, and that other people love us, and will help to pick up the pieces. Never give your whole heart away, but rather, give little pieces at a time. Fall in love without fear, know that nothing lasts forever, but be happy for the moment. Rejoice in the moments that are, and never take love for granted. Say it every chance you get, because we never know when the last time we say it will be. Love other people- donate something you really, really like, so that someone else can experience that happiness. Play with children, learn from their innocent love of life, talk with the elderly and listen, really listen, because they know love. Love humanity, love the Earth, even if you could care less about the polar bears, do something for the Earth. Love God, thank Him every chance you get for the beautiful gift that is life. Love your life, love yourself. Love your nation, be proud of where you are from. Love is the welcome center of our life, it is the first emotion we experience. When a doctor places a new baby in its mother's arms, there is nothing but love in that room. And when that baby grows into a 100 year old woman on her deathbed surrounded by family, once again, love is the only thing in that room.