Coming to a close to my third/ fourth week in Aix-en-Provence. I still think I’m in a haze. It doesn’t really feel as if I am here, I just feel as if I am going to college in a different state and in this state they just don’t exactly speak English. As a result of me still being in the learning process of the French language, I think I am still in the middle of adjusting/ not really getting that acquainted yet. Whenever I walk around, it is all pretty familiar at this point, but again it just feels that I am in a different state, not a different country. After traveling around a bit, it was nice coming home to Aix and it felt kind of like home but not in the sense of actually being home but that I actually knew where I was going and what I was going to do once I got here. I think I am a well-seasoned traveler so it is easier for me to adjust to new places than most people.
I have found the coffee shop that I frequent and the owner gives me a discount on my coffee and we have nice little conversations.
A conflict that I have had is trying to adjust to the way of the French in terms of meals. Breakfast is straight up just toast. They do not eat eggs for breakfast. It is hard for me to be satisfied with just toast in the morning especially since I have class all morning. Dinner is always at 8pm so I have to make sure I eat a big enough lunch/ have a good snack to last me until then.
Also, random, we are only allowed to take 10 minute showers in our home stay. I know that may seem like a long time on paper, but it really is not. I was reminded by my host mom that I am only allowed 10 minute showers. I am the type of person that enjoys standing in the hot water and just letting the water hit my face and run down my body to wake me up in the morning. I would say I average 12-14 minute showers here, but I now am stripped of my relaxing showers and will have to treat them as a chore and no longer a relaxing moment of my day.